270 likes | 921 Views
ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) A General Overview Jakarta, 10 March 2010. ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) is an Economic Cooperation in ASEAN which covers only Trade in Goods. Other Economic Cooperation: Trade in Goods: ASEAN PTA; Customs; Standard & Conformance Industry: AICO
E N D
ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA)A General Overview Jakarta, 10 March 2010
ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA)is an Economic Cooperation in ASEAN which covers only Trade in Goods Other Economic Cooperation: • Trade in Goods: ASEAN PTA; Customs; Standard & Conformance • Industry: AICO • Trade in Services: AFAS • Investment: AIA • Others: IT & Telecommunication, Intellectual Property, SMEs, etc. • ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) • ASEAN External Economic Cooperation: China (ACFTA), India (AIFTA), Korea (AKFTA), Japan (AJCCEP), AANZ
ASEAN PTA Agreement on ASEAN Preferential Trading Arrangement (PTA): signed by ASEAN Ministers of Foreign Affairs on 24 February 1977 in Manila • Preferential tariff: MOP, as of 31 Dec 2002. • Local ASEAN Content: CEPT Rules of Origin. (Initially50%)
AFTA Establishment: • 28 January 1992 (Singapore) • The 4th ASEAN Summit: the Leaders signed the Framework Agreement on Enhancing ASEAN Economic Cooperation; which contains amongst others, agreement to establish AFTA. • The main legal basis to implement AFTA is the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) Agreement signed by ASEAN Economic Ministers on 28 Jan 1992. • 1 January 1993 • AFTA was officially started with time frame of 10 years (initially 15 years)
Objectives of AFTA • To increase ASEAN’s competitiveness as a production base geared for the world market • To attract more foreign direct investment into ASEAN • To expand intra-ASEAN trade
Benefits of AFTA • ASEAN companies can benefit by: • Being able to import production inputs from other ASEAN countries at lower costs • Being able to export to other ASEAN countries at lower tariffs and less trade barriers • ASEAN consumers can benefit by: • Having more choice of products for consumption at lower prices
CEPT Scheme • CEPT (Common Effective Preferential Tariff) Scheme is the main mechanism for AFTA • It covers all manufactured and agricultural products (processed or unprocessed); • Products must have a 40% ASEAN content to enjoy tariff preferences or CTH • The legal basis: CEPT Agreement
CEPT Agreement • Gradual reduction of intra-ASEAN tariff rates to 0-5%: • ASEAN-6: 2003 • Viet Nam: 2006 • Laos & Myanmar: 2008 • Cambodia: 2010 • Elimination on intra-ASEAN tariff: • ASEAN-6: 2010 • CLMV: 2015 • Granting of concessions on a reciprocal basis • Elimination of quantitative restrictions upon enjoyment of the concessions • Gradual elimination of other non-tariff barriers within a period of 5 years after the enjoyment of CEPT concessions.
CEPT Product List • Four categories of products in the CEPT Scheme: • Inclusion List (IL) • Temporary Exclusion List (TEL) • Sensitive List (SL) • General Exception List (GEL)
Rules of Origin • General Rules: • Regional Value Content of 40% (RVC(40)) to • Regional Value Content of 40% (RVC(40)) or Change in Tariff Headings (CTH)
Rules of Origin Product Specific Rules (PSR) • Implementation: Each sub-heading (HS 6-digit) has its rules. • 1st step: Look at PSR List; • 2nd step: if not listed in the PSR, look at the ROO RVC40 or CTH
Rules of Origin • Formula for calculating Regional Value Content of 40% (RVC(40)):
Ultimate Target of AFTA • 3rd Informal Summit in November 1999 (Manila), the Leaders agreed to eliminate all import duties. Protocol to Amend the CEPT-AFTA Agreement for the Elimination of Import Duties was signed on 30 January 2003: • By 2010 for six original members; • By 2015 for the new members, but allowing some sensitive products by 2018. • Not applicable for products listed in Protocol on Special Arrangement for Sensitive and Highly Sensitive Products
ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) • Decision: 9th ASEAN Summit, 7-8 Oct 2003 in Bali • The declaration of ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by the Leaders • AEC: A single market and production base, with free flow of goods, services, investment and labor, and freer flow of capital. This is the realisation of the end-goal of economic integration as outlined in the ASEAN Vision 2020
ASEAN Framework Agreement on the Integration of Priority Sectors • 10th ASEAN Summit, 29-30 November 2004 di Vientiane: • Towards the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), the ASEAN Leaders agreed to accelerate the integration of 11 priority sector (electronics, e-ASEAN, healthcare, wood-based products, automotives, rubber-based products, textiles and apparels, agro-based products, fisheries, air travel and tourism). • Import duties of these products will be fully eliminated by 2007 for ASEAN-6 and 2012 for the new members
ASEAN TRADE IN GOODS AGREEMENT (ATIGA) • signed by all Member States on 26 February 2009 • Objective: to achieve free flow of goods in ASEAN as one of the principal means to establish a single market and production base for the deeper economic integration of the region towards the realisation of the AEC by 2015
ASEAN-China (ACFTA) • Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Between the Association of South East Asian Nations and the People’s Republic of China • Signed by the Leaders in ASEAN-China Summit, Phnom Penh, 4 November 2002 • To strengthen and enhance economic, trade and investment co-operation
ASEAN-China (ACFTA) AGREEMENT ON TRADE IN GOODS • signed by Economic Ministers at the 10thASEAN Summit, 29-30 November 2004 in Vientiane. • Normal Track: eliminate Import duties by 2010 (with some flexibility to 2012) for ASEAN-6; • Sensitive Track: reduce to 0-5% of import duties by 2018 (ASEAN-6); • Highly Sensitive: reduce to 50% of import duties by 2015 (ASEAN-6); • Longer time frame for CLMV
ASEAN-India (AIFTA) • Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Republic of India • Signed in ASEAN-India Summit in Bali, 8 October 2003 • To enhance close economic cooperation and to work towards an ASEAN-India Regional Trade and Investment Area
ASEAN-Japan (AJCEP) • Framework for Comprehensive Economic Partnership between ASEAN and Japan • Signed by the Leaders in ASEAN-Japan Summit in Bali, 8 October 2003
ASEAN-Korea (AKFTA) • Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Among the Governments of ASEAN and Korea, signed by the Leaders in ASEAN-Korea Summit in Kuala Lumpur, 13 December 2005 • Agreement on Trade in Goods (TIG), signed in August 2006. The implementation is after the ratification by at least one ASEAN Member and Korea.
ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand (AANZ) • Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia New Zealand Free Trade Area • Signed in Cha-am, Thailand on 27 February 2009
Further Information ASEAN website: www.aseansec.org