Although these national customs and trade authorities coordinate with each other, disputes may arise. The ASEAN Secretariat does not have the legal authority to resolve these disputes, so disputes are resolved bilaterally through informal means or through dispute settlement. Efforts to close the development gap and expand trade among ASEAN members are key points in the political debate. According to a research report published in 2008 by the World Bank as part of its Project on Trade Costs and Facilitation[11], ASEAN members have the potential to reap significant benefits by investing in further trade facilitation reforms as a result of the comprehensive tariff reform already implemented under the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement. The ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA)[1] is a trade bloc agreement of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that supports local trade and production in all ASEAN countries and facilitates economic integration with regional and international allies. [2] [3] [4] It is considered one of the largest and most important free trade areas (FTAs) in the world and, together with its network of dialogue partners, has promoted some of the world`s largest multilateral forums and blocs, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the East Asia Summit and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] Rules of origin (ROAs) are an integral part of any preferential trade regime. Roo lays down the conditions under which goods traded under free trade or preferential trade are considered to be `originating goods`. This is to ensure that goods are produced or converted in the exporting country through extensive value-added activities.
The revision and improvement of the CEPT system was one of the most important measures set out in the ACS 2015 to create a free flow of goods in the region. The CEPT system was then replaced in 2010 by the new agreement, the ASEAN Agreement on Trade in Goods (ATIGA). Growth in the region was driven by significant intra-ASEAN trade activity, valued at $543.7 billion, or 24 percent of ASEAN`s total trade. In addition, ASEAN has managed to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) year after year, and for 2015, the total net inflow of foreign direct investment into ASEAN amounted to $119.9 billion. AtF-JCC aims to strengthen cooperation to promote efficient trade between AMS through trade facilitation reforms or measures to reduce trade transaction costs and improve competitiveness. An international treaty entitled: Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA), signed on 27 February 2009 in Cha-am, Phetchaburi, Thailand, created a free trade area between asean countries, Australia and New Zealand. [13] The ASEAN Economic Community (ECA) was first discussed at the Bali Summit in October 2003, where ASEAN leaders declared that ECA should be the goal of regional economic integration by 2020. On the 12th. However, in January 2007, ASEAN leaders reaffirmed their firm commitment to accelerate the establishment of the ACS by 2015, with the aim of transforming ASEAN into a region where goods, services, investment, skilled labour and the free movement of capital are free. Trade facilitation is one of the most important policy measures to support the free movement of goods with a view to creating a single market and a production base, when Heads of State or Government agreed on the first FAC in 2015 and 2007.
Under the ECA Master Plan 2009-2015, trade facilitation aimed to simplify, harmonize and standardize trade and customs, processes and procedures that enhance export competitiveness and facilitate ASEAN`s integration into a domestic market for goods, services and investment, as well as a single production base. ASEAN will continue to give high priority to trade facilitation initiatives, and this is fully enshrined in the ACS Master Plan 2025. The Trade Facilitation Initiative paves the way for various work, including efforts to develop a comprehensive trade facilitation action plan, and welcomed other ongoing efforts to improve trade facilitation through various initiatives, including the ASEAN Self-Certification Scheme, the establishment of the ASEAN Trade Repository, the ASEAN Single Window, the ASEAN Solutions for Investment, Services and Trade, and the ASEAN Customs Transit System. These initiatives summarize ASEAN`s efforts to improve transparency and access to information on the regulatory environment of individual ASEAN member States and to significantly facilitate business in the region. In addition, it will provide an indispensable means for the private sector to raise concerns about doing business in a more systematic, timely and cost-effective manner. In addition to the ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) among ASEAN member states, the regional trading bloc has signed several free trade agreements with some of the major economies in the Asia-Pacific region. These include the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA (AANZFTA), the ASEAN-China FTA (ACFTA), the ASEAN-India FTA (AIFTA), the ASEAN-Korea FTA (AKFTA) and the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP). The objective of these free trade agreements is to encourage and encourage companies of all sizes in ASEAN to trade regionally and internationally without tariff barriers. Companies with branches in ASEAN can use free trade agreements to easily access new export markets for their low-cost products and to benefit from simplified export and import procedures. Southeast Asia will benefit significantly from RCEP ($19 billion per year by 2030), but less than Northeast Asia, as there are already free trade agreements with RCEP partners. However, RCEP could improve access to China`s Belt and Road (BRI) funds and improve market access gains by strengthening transport, energy and communication links. .