Jakarta, February 8, 2025 – The Europe Today: Indonesia has urged ASEAN economic and trade ministers to accelerate negotiations for upgrading the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) within this year.
The call was made by Indonesia’s Deputy Trade Minister Dyah Roro Esti during a virtual ministerial meeting on ATIGA, chaired by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry, Gan Kim Yong, on Friday.
“We expect all parties involved in the negotiation, including the negotiation committee and working groups, to intensify their efforts,” Roro Esti stated in her written remarks.
She emphasized the importance of completing the negotiations on schedule, aligning with Priority Economic Deliverables under Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025.
During the meeting, the Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) reported that 10 out of 17 new chapters of the upgraded ATIGA have been agreed upon, achieving 89% negotiation completion.
Roro Esti further highlighted Indonesia’s proposal for trade liberalization across all ASEAN nations, particularly urging countries that have yet to meet ATIGA’s liberalization commitments to comply.
She underscored that the ATIGA upgrade aims to modernize its scope, making it more relevant to ASEAN’s economic landscape and global trade challenges.
Additionally, ASEAN member states agreed on a special arrangement for rice and sugar, recognizing them as strategic food commodities.
“This provision in ATIGA’s upgrade aligns with domestic policies and will provide a safety net to ensure the stability of rice and sugar supply and prices across the region,” the deputy minister stated.
