AEM 57 Conference and related Conferences:

Delegates attending the conference. Photo: ASEAN Secretariat.

The ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) was preceded by the Common Effective Preferential Tariff Agreement signed in 1992. The Agreement, which came into effect in 2010, is the core foundation of the ASEAN Economic Community.

After more than a decade, the new landscape of global supply chains, digital trade and international standards has made upgrading ATIGA an urgent priority.

At the recent 10th Meeting of the ASEAN-India Joint Committee on ATIGA (JC-10, New Delhi, 10-14 August 2025), the parties made significant progress: agreeing on about one-third of the negotiating content, narrowing differences in key technical areas such as rules of origin, standards and conformity assessment, and trade facilitation.

However, some issues remain, especially the proposals from the Indian side on the mechanism of electronic certificate of origin (C/O ESS), De Minimis threshold (the minimum value of an imported consignment or insignificant proportion of non-standard raw materials, below which the goods will be exempted from duties, fees and simplified customs procedures), or trade defense provisions.

These are all issues that directly affect the cost and feasibility of implementing the agreement, requiring concessions at the political level.

The key issue now is not only the content but also the pressure of time. Delays will cause ASEAN businesses to lack direction for production and export activities, and at the same time, reduce the bloc's reputation in the eyes of partners. Meanwhile, other trade agreements in Asia - Pacific are progressing rapidly, forcing ASEAN to prove its adaptability.

In that context, the 57th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting (AEM 57) and related meetings - scheduled to take place from September 23 to 26, 2025 in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) - are expected to be a political "push" to promote the early conclusion of ATIGA.

The ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement is the focus of discussion at AEM 57. Photo: ASEAN Secretariat.

Experts also commented that AEM 57 is a high-level forum with enough weight to remove bottlenecks, give specific instructions to working groups and reaffirm the commitment to completion this year.

According to experts, ASEAN can take advantage of three directions: Increasing the frequency of technical meetings to quickly handle controversial issues; applying a flexible model with different roadmaps for each country; and involving businesses more deeply to ensure feasibility in implementation.

Completing the ATIGA upgrade by 2025 will affirm ASEAN's capacity to act, strengthen relations with India, and enhance the bloc's investment attractiveness in the face of global challenges.

Conversely, delay could undermine confidence in ASEAN’s centrality, which could affect market confidence and opportunities for deeper integration with extra-regional partners.

Concluding negotiations early to upgrade ATIGA is therefore not only a political commitment, but also a strategic test of ASEAN's central role in the regional economic architecture.

(according to ASEAN Secretariat)

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/hoi-nghi-aem-57-va-cac-hoi-nghi-lien-quan-asean-an-do-tang-toc-hoan-tat-nang-cap-hiep-dinh-thuong-mai-hang-hoa-716857.html