Australia-United Arab Emirates Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

The Australia-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and the Agreement Between Australia and The United Arab Emirates on the Promotion and Protection of Investments (Investment Agreement) entered into force on 1 October 2025.

Learn about the benefits for your sector and how your business can take advantage of CEPA on the Go Global Toolkit.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is Australia's largest trade and investment partner in the Middle East. In 2024 our two-way trade with UAE was worth $12.3 billion and two-way investment stock worth $23.7 billion. 

CEPA is Australia’s first free trade agreement in the Middle East region, delivering on the Government’s commitment to open new opportunities for trade diversification. Tariffs are eliminated on over 99% of Australia’s exports to the UAE, including dairy, pulses and horticulture.

The deal unlocks new opportunities and provides greater certainty for Australian service providers exporting to the UAE, including in sectors such as education, professional services and financial services.

CEPA is Australia’s first ever FTA to include a chapter on First Nations trade and investment encouraging cooperation between our two countries. This recognises the unique and important contribution that First Nations people and businesses make to international trade and investment.

Highlights of CEPA 

Goods

CEPA eliminates over 99% of tariffs for Australia's exports to the UAE by value. Most tariffs were eliminated on entry-into-force (1 October 2025) or locked in at zero and others eliminated over 3 or 5 stages for: 

• dairy 
• red meat
• wine
• canola seeds
• grains and oilseeds
• pulses
• horticulture
• honey.

Industry

Most tariffs will be eliminated or locked in at zero on entry into force, with others eliminated over 3 or 5 stages for:

• aluminium
• gold 
• vehicle parts
• pharmaceuticals
• cosmetics
• jewellery.

Services

CEPA creates greater certainty for Australian services providers. It establishes high-quality rules to address behind-the-border barriers to services trade while locking in market access to more than 120 sectors and subsectors in the UAE for Australian service suppliers, including:

• professional services including the supply of legal, accounting, architectural, medical and dental services, and veterinary services
• other business services including advertising, management consulting, scientific and technical consulting, and services incidental to manufacturing
• communication and audiovisual services
• distribution services including wholesale trade services and retailing services
• financial services
• health services
• education services in secondary and higher education services
• environmental services
• tourism and travel related services and recreational services.

The UAE's commitments lock in foreign equity caps up to 100% in a range of sectors and subsectors.

Investment

CEPA supports and promote two-way productive foreign direct investment covering the following priority sectors:

• green and renewable energy
• data centres and AI projects
• minerals
• food and agriculture
• infrastructure development.

Other key benefits of CEPA are included in the following chapters:

• skilled labour mobility
• labour
• environment and the transition to net zero
• gender balance and women's economic empowerment
• First Nations trade and cooperation
• sustainable agriculture
• animal welfare
• digital trade
• government procurement
• Intellectual property (IP)
• Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs)
• competition, consumer protections and state-owned enterprises
• legal and institutional framework
• transparency and anti-corruption
• economic cooperation.
  

How we can help you succeed 

We can help you understand specific market opportunities for your products or services. We can also provide a range of in-market and Australian-based services for:

• Emirati investors exploring the Australian market
• Australian business looking to enter the UAE.

Email: dubai@austrade.gov.au

Learn more about Doing business in the United Arab Emirates.

More information

For detailed information, visit the Australia-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) page on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.