MANADO, Indonesia, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- The ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting (AEM) on Thursday signed several action plans as part of the implementation of ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) during a meeting of the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) Council.

These action plans include the schedule for tariff reduction in the context of ATIGA, development of the ASEAN Import Licensing Procedure (ILP) Guidelines, and extension of waiver for rice and sugar from Indonesia.

Furthermore, the AEM agreed to review steps to enhance the Rules of Origin and Certificate of Origin for Goods, collaboration in customs including the expansion of the National Single Window and ASEAN Single Window, trade facilitation and collaboration in standard mechanism.

The AFTA Council also noted that intra-ASEAN trade reached 519. 7 billion U.S. dollars in 2010, an increase of 31.2 percent from 376.2 billion dollars in 2009.

The implementation of the above measures will contribute to create an integrated and more competitive ASEAN that can be a regional production base for the global economy.

August 11, 2011

Source: Xinhua News

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