AANZFTA - A Guide for ASEAN Business

09/06/2012

Time: June 2012

By: ASEAN Secretariat

The Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) is a historical undertaking for ASEAN. This is the first single undertaking and by far the most comprehensive economic agreement concluded by ASEAN with its Dialogue Partners.

The AANZFTA goes beyond the usual components of ASEAN’s free trade agreements traditionally limited to trade in goods and services and investment. The new areas in the Agreement include standards, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, electronic commerce, intellectual property, competition policy, and movement of business persons as well as economic cooperation. This Guide for ASEAN Business intends to introduce the AANZFTA and guide the business community and other stakeholders of ASEAN on its implementation and utilisation. It highlights the salient provisions of the Agreement, including market opportunities that have been created for ASEAN manufacturers, traders, investors and professionals. The Guide is designed to complement the legal text of the AANZFTA but does not attempt to interpret, in any way, the legal text of the Agreement.

As a continuing contribution to the economic well being and prosperity of the peoples of ASEAN, I enjoin you to maximise the opportunities that the AANZFTA will bring. Share the information with your business partners, and help us to create awareness and facilitate better understanding of a milestone agreement in ASEAN’s history.

The book is attached below.