Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade | 195 Lambton Quay, Private Bag 18 901, Wellington 5045, New Zealand
Ph +64 4 439 8000, | Email:info at mfat.govt.nz
Upgrade of the Agreement to establish an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area
Treaty Type:
Bilateral/Plurilateral
Common Name:
Responsible Department:
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Administering Department:
Foreign Affairs and Trade
Treaty Summary:
AANZFTA entered into force in 2010 between New Zealand, Australia and the ten ASEAN nations: Brunei Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia (Cambodia), the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesia), the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), Malaysia, the Union of Myanmar (Myanmar), the Republic of the Philippines (Philippines), the Republic of Singapore (Singapore), the Kingdom of Thailand (Thailand) and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (Viet Nam). In 2017 a General Review of AANZFTA was conducted, which recommended Parties embark on an upgrade process that would ‘update, improve, upgrade and unlock the potential of AANZFTA’ taking into account developments since the original Agreement was signed. The scope of the upgrade includes customs and rules of origin, services, investment, and e-commerce. It does not include further goods market access.
NZ Adherence Status:
In Progress
Negotiation Status:
Under negotiation since April 2021.
Organisation:
Is Signed By NZ:
No
Signature Date:
Ratified or Signed:
No
Requires Ratification:
No
NZ Territorial Applications:
None
Information about required Legislation:
Legislation may be required to implement the upgrade. The specific protocol is still being negotiated.
Impacts on Maori:
The negotiations cover a range of areas of interest to Māori business. This includes modernising the e-commerce chapter; developing provisions relating to support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which make up the majority of Māori businesses; and developing provisions for cooperation on trade and sustainable development (including environment and labour issues).
Impacts on Stakeholders:
New Zealand businesses are expected to benefit from the upgrade delivering a more modern and fit-for-purpose trade agreement, which aims to reduce barriers to trade. In 2019 MFAT ran a public consultation process, which generally indicated support for the upgrade, and highlighted interest in improving trade facilitation (for example, customs procedures).
Link To Legislation:
Treaty Text Link:
Contact Information:
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