On 24 July 2025, Australia took a significant step toward strengthening its economic ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by introducing legislation to implement the Australia-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
This milestone marks a pivotal moment in fostering deeper trade and investment opportunities between Australia and the UAE, promising mutual benefits for both economies.
The Australian Federal Parliament introduced two key bills to bring the CEPA into effect, one amending the Customs Act 1901 (Customs Act) and another amending the Customs Tariff Act 1995 (Customs Tariff Act).
The purpose of these legislative measures, as explained in their respective Explanatory Memoranda, is to amend the Customs Act and the Customs Tariff Act to introduce new rules of origin that determine whether goods imported from the UAE into Australia are eligible for preferential tariff treatment under CEPA.
The amendments also give effect to the requirements for verifying claims for preferential tariff treatment of goods exported from Australia to the UAE.
For those eager to explore all the details, the full text of the bills and supporting documents can be found on the Australian Parliament House website as follows:
- Customs Amendment (Australia-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement Implementation) Bill 2025
- Customs Tariff Amendment (Australia-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement Implementation) Bill 2025
Additional insights into the CEPA’s broader implications are available on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website, which provides a helpful overview of the key sectors affected by the CEPA, the official text of the agreement and other useful information.
However, readers should note that the process of fully implementing CEPA is not complete. While Australia progresses its legislative process, the agreement’s entry into force also depends on the UAE completing its domestic ratification procedures.
As we await final ratification and implementation, we will, as always, keep readers and stakeholders updated with the latest developments in the process.
Contact us
If you would like to discuss the recent legislations to implement the Australia-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and their potential impact, please contact a member of our Customs & Trade team.
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