Asean-India FTA review talks to start on 29 July

The next round of talks for a free trade agreement (FTA) with the 10-nation bloc of South-east Asian nations—Asean—is scheduled to be held in July to review the existing deal with India, a senior government official said on Sunday. A delegation from South-east Asian nations, including high-ranking officials, will meet on 29-31 July in Jakarta, Indonesia, the official said, asking not to be named.

The review will focus on the Asean Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), which has been in place for over a decade, and will include more goods and services under non-tariff barriers, the official said.

Signed in 2009, ATIGA came into effect in 2010. The decision to review it came at the 16th Asean-India Economic Ministers Meeting in September 2019, following multiple requests from member nations.

The review’s scope was finalized in September 2022 and the discussions for review started in May 2023 to make it more trade-facilitating and beneficial for businesses across the region. The last round of the three-day negotiations concluded on 9 May in Putrajaya, Malaysia. A joint committee, which is undertaking the review, has so far met four times.