For companies operating across borders in ASEAN, tariff is no longer their main concern, thanks to the successful elimination of 99% of tariff rates under the ASEAN Trade In good Agreement (ATIGA). Today, the real challenges to ASEAN businesses lie in heightened uncertainties arising from supply chain disruptions, regulatory complexity, and the fast-evolving digital technologies. In this environment, businesses and investors are increasingly drawn to trade partners that offer predictability, efficiency, and resilience alongside market scale.
It is against this backdrop that ASEAN has upgraded the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) in October 2025. This is the first major overhaul of the Agreement since it entered into force in 2010 and comes at a time when intra-ASEAN trade has expanded by more than 64 percent (from USD 503 billion in 2010 to USD 823 billion in 2024), underscoring the importance of improving the rules that govern how goods actually move within the region today. Intra-ASEAN trade is today the largest component of ASEAN total trade, having grown at a healthy average rate of 5 percent per year over the past decade since 2015.
About the Bulletin
ASEAN for Business is a bulletin published by the Enterprise and Stakeholders Engagement Division of the ASEAN Secretariat. This monthly bulletin provides quick updates on specific topics related to the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) for businesses operating in the region. Those interested in receiving the bulletin and collaborating with the ASEAN Secretariat may contact:
Lukman Oesman Senior Officer, Enterprise and Stakeholder Engagement Division lukman.oesman@asean.org
Nisfi Mubarokah Officer, Enterprise and Stakeholder Engagement Division nisfi.mubarokah@asean.org