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TIMOR-LESTE TO HOST ASEAN IN 2029

The Vice -Prime Minister (V-PM), Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs (MCAE), and Minister of Tourism and Environment (MTA), Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, led the opening ceremony of the Workshop on the Implementation and Utilization of the ANUNNAI Digital Platform, in preparation for Timor-Leste’s …

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TIMOR-LESTE SAI UMA NAIN BA ASEAN 2029

Sesta, 30 Outubru 2026, Vise-Primeiru-Ministru (V-PM), Ministru Koordenadór ba Asuntu Ekonómiku (MKAE) no Ministru Turizmu no Ambiente (MTA), Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, halao abertura ba serimonia Workshop kona-bá Implementasaun no Utilizasaun Plataforma Dijitál …

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MCAE Signs Contracts with Beneficiary Groups

The Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs (MCAE), through the Office of the General Coordinator, represented by Mr. Jorge Rui de Carvalho Martins, participated in the Contract Signing Meeting with the Beneficiary Groups.

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01Economy

Timor-Leste Economic Dashboard

Key macroeconomic indicators, updated from official sources (INETL, BCTL, Ministry of Finance).

View full data

Non-oil GDP growth

Real year-on-year growth, percent. 2025 and 2026 are estimates.

Structure of the non-oil economy

Sector contribution to GDP, percent.

Main trading partners

Imports by origin, percent.

Economic timeline

02Map

GIS Economic Potential by Municipality

Choose a map style, click a municipality to see its economic profile, select an infrastructure site and get directions from where you are now.

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Mapa: Mapbox · Ruta: MGAD-TL. Fronteira munisípiu: OCHA COD-AB Timor-Leste (WHO, 2020; simplifika). Populasaun no área: Sensu 2022, rezultadu finál (INETL).

03Information

Information Centre

News, press releases, announcements, tenders, competitions, job vacancies and events in one place. Filter by publication type or by topic.

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TIMOR-LESTE TO HOST ASEAN IN 2029

The Vice -Prime Minister (V-PM), Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs (MCAE), and Minister of Tourism and Environment (MTA), …

TIMOR-LESTE SAI UMA NAIN BA ASEAN 2029

Sesta, 30 Outubru 2026, Vise-Primeiru-Ministru (V-PM), Ministru Koordenadór ba Asuntu Ekonómiku (MKAE) no Ministru Turizmu no Ambiente (MTA), …

04Affairs

Economic Affairs

MCAE's main areas of coordination.

ASEAN11th member, AEC pillar and regional integration. WTOAccession, commitments, GPA and WTO notifications. Trade and InvestmentBusiness climate, bilateral treaties and investment promotion. Blue EconomyFisheries, ports, maritime transport and coastal tourism. Green EconomyCoffee, bamboo, renewable energy and climate adaptation.
ASEAN
05ASEAN

Timor-Leste in ASEAN

The 11th member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. MCAE coordinates national participation in the economic pillar (AEC) and integration into the regional market.

26 Oct 2025Full ASEAN membership
14 yearsProcess from 2011 to 2025

Timor-Leste signed the Declaration on its Admission into ASEAN at the opening ceremony of the 47th ASEAN Summit and deposited its Instruments of Accession to the ASEAN Charter and to the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (SEANWFZ). It is ASEAN's first enlargement since Cambodia joined in 1999.

Full membership opens access to a market of more than 680 million people, to ASEAN free trade agreements (ATIGA, RCEP), cooperation funds and capacity-building programmes. At the same time, the Government must implement the legal and economic obligations set out in the ASEAN Roadmap.

ASEAN's three pillars

  • APSC — Political-Security Community — dialogue, peace and regional stability.
  • AEC — Economic Community — single market, free trade, investment, connectivity. Coordinated by MCAE.
  • ASCC — Socio-Cultural Community — education, health, environment and ASEAN identity.

See also: ASEAN Economic Community

ASEAN news on the MCAE portal asean.org

Path to accession

Key stages of Timor-Leste's ASEAN accession process.

  1. ASEAN applicationTimor-Leste formally applies to become an ASEAN Member State.
  2. Accepted in principle, observer status40th and 41st Summits, Phnom Penh: leaders agree in principle to admit Timor-Leste as the 11th member and grant it observer status.
  3. Roadmap to full membership42nd Summit, Labuan Bajo: Roadmap adopted with objective criteria, including accession to all ASEAN treaties and agreements.
  4. 46th SummitKuala Lumpur: leaders decide to admit Timor-Leste at the 47th Summit (October 2025) and welcome the operationalisation of the Timor-Leste Unit.
  5. Full ASEAN membership47th Summit, Kuala Lumpur: Declaration of Admission signed; Timor-Leste becomes the 11th Member State and accedes to the ASEAN Charter.
  6. Accession to ASEAN legal instrumentsASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta: Timor-Leste deposits its instruments of accession to ASEAN legal instruments (Roadmap Criterion 2).
  7. Cebu Protocol to the ASEAN Charter48th Summit, Cebu: first amendment to the ASEAN Charter adopted, adding Timor-Leste and updating the ASEAN flag and emblem.
  8. ASEAN economic integration58th ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting, Manila: Timor-Leste has acceded to 51 ASEAN economic agreements; remaining accessions continue.
WTO
06WTO

Timor-Leste in the World Trade Organization

The WTO's 166th member. MCAE leads the accession negotiations, the implementation of commitments and coordination with line ministries.

30 Aug 2024WTO accession
9 yearsProcess from 2015 to 2024
40.8 million USDNon-oil exports (2025)

The Accession Protocol was signed on 26 February 2024 at the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi by the Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Francisco Kalbuadi Lay, and WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Negotiations took seven and a half years — one of the fastest accessions in WTO history.

WTO membership guarantees market access, predictable trade rules and dispute settlement mechanisms, and is a strategic step towards ASEAN membership.

Timor-Leste's commitments

  • Tariffs on goods — Tariffs bound for all products; phased reductions for non-agricultural products. (Implementing)
  • Information technology — Participation in the Information Technology Agreement (ITA and ITA Expansion); zero tariffs on many products by 2030. (Phased)
  • Services — Telecommunications, finance and tourism opened up; restrictions remain on oil and mining support services. (Implementing)
  • Fisheries subsidies — Formal acceptance of the WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. (Accepted 2024)
  • Government procurement (GPA) — Inter-ministerial negotiating team set up by Government Resolution No. 24/2026; accession negotiations under way. (Negotiating)

See also: GPA press release

WTO news on the MCAE portal wto.org

Path to accession

Key stages of Timor-Leste's WTO accession process.

  1. WTO applicationTimor-Leste applies for membership of the World Trade Organization.
  2. WTO Accession Working PartyThe WTO General Council establishes the accession Working Party and welcomes Timor-Leste as an observer.
  3. Memorandum on the Foreign Trade RegimeTimor-Leste submits its Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime to the WTO Working Party.
  4. NegotiationsSeven Working Party meetings (Oct 2020 – Jan 2024); 10 bilateral agreements: Australia, Cambodia, Canada, EU, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand and the US.
  5. Accession package agreedAt its 7th and final meeting, the Working Party agrees by consensus on Timor-Leste's membership terms and forwards them to MC13.
  6. Accession Protocol signedMC13 Abu Dhabi: ministers approve the terms of membership and the Protocol of Accession is signed.
  7. Ratified by the National ParliamentThe National Parliament approves the WTO Protocol of Accession (Parliament Resolution No. 23/2024).
  8. Instrument of acceptance submittedWTO General Council: Timor-Leste submits its acceptance of the Protocol and accepts the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.
  9. WTO accession166th member; protocol signed at MC13 in Abu Dhabi, in force 30 August 2024.
  10. Observer to the GPA CommitteeTimor-Leste becomes an observer to the WTO Committee on Government Procurement, in line with its accession commitments.
  11. Post-accession workshopWTO workshop in Dili (3–12 Feb) on implementing accession commitments and synergies with regional integration.
  12. GPA negotiating teamGovernment Resolution No. 24/2026 creates the inter-ministerial team for accession to the WTO Government Procurement Agreement, led by the MCAE.
  13. GPA accession talks beginThe GPA Committee welcomes Timor-Leste's initial market access offer; it is the first LDC to launch this process.
07Agenda

Agenda and Legislation

MCAE Agenda

Scheduled meetings, forums and official events.

    Legislation

    Laws, decree-laws, resolutions and ministerial diplomas.

    • No legal instruments have been published on the portal yet.
    08Agencies

    Supervised Institutions

    Public institutions under the oversight of MCAE.

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