The Ministry of Trade and Industry (“MTI“) has issued a public consultation, open from 17 February to 18 March 2025, to obtain comments on the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (“AITIGA“) Review. The AITIGA Review seeks to ensure the agreement’s continued relevance and effectiveness in facilitating trade between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (“ASEAN“) Member States and India.
Background
Made between the ASEAN Member States and India, the AITIGA was signed on 14 August 2009 and came into effect in October 2010. The AITIGA established one of the world’s largest free trade areas, encompassing over 1.9 billion people and a combined gross domestic product of USD5.36 trillion.
The AITIGA has significantly expanded two-way trade between ASEAN and India. It has committed the Parties to liberalising tariffs on over 90% of product lines, which includes the elimination of tariffs on 80% of product lines and the reduction of tariffs on 10% of product lines to 5% by 2016.
The AITIGA presently covers the following non-exhaustive areas:
- Scope;
- National Treatment on Internal Taxation and Regulations;
- Tariff Reduction and Elimination;
- Transparency;
- Rules of Origin;
- Non-Tariff Measures;
- Modification of Concessions;
- Safeguard Measures;
- Measures to Safeguard the Balance of Payments;
- General Exceptions and Security Exceptions; and
- Dispute Settlement.
AITIGA Review
The AITIGA Review was initiated by the ASEAN and Indian leaders during the 17th ASEAN Economic Ministers’-India Consultations on 29 August 2020.
The AITIGA Review aims to: (i) enhance the agreement by making it more user-friendly, simple and trade-facilitative for businesses; (ii) improve trade commitments, simplify customs procedures, and foster further engagements between ASEAN and India through economic and technical cooperation programmes; and (iii) address implementation issues to make the agreement more relevant to the current global trading practices.
Click on the following link for more information:
- MTI’s Public Consultation on the Review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) (available on the MTI website at www.mti.gov.sg)
Disclaimer
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