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ASEAN–Australia–New Zealand Free Trade Agreement
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Overview
The Agreement Establishing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)–Australia–New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) was signed by the Minister for Trade, Simon Crean, and his ASEAN and New Zealand counterparts, on 27 February 2009 in Hua Hin, Thailand. [See also the Joint Media Statement on the signing of the Agreement.]
AANZFTA is the largest FTA Australia has concluded. ASEAN and New Zealand together account for 20% of Australia's total trade in goods and services, which were worth $112 billion in 2008. This is larger than our trade with any single country.
AANZFTA contains regional rules of origin and substantial tariff reduction and elimination commitments, as well as World Trade Organization (WTO)-plus commitments in other areas such as services, which will provide commercially meaningful benefits to Australian business and further strengthen Australia's commercial ties with ASEAN.
Mr Crean tabled AANZFTA in Parliament on 16 March 2009 , along with the National Interest Analysis and Regulation Impact Statement. These documents are available at the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties webpage. Legislation relating to AANZFTA’s tariff commitments and rules of origin was passed by the Australian Parliament on 17 September and given Royal Assent on 2 October 2009. Implementing regulations were approved by the Executive Council on 8 October, paving the way for Australia’s notification to AANZFTA Parties of its ratification of the Agreement on 21 October 2009.
Entry into force
At the East Asia Summit on 25 October 2009, leaders of AANZFTA Parties issued a joint statement announcing AANZFTA would enter into force on 1 January 2010.
Countries that have, at the date of this notice, notified other Parties of their ratification and which will therefore be Parties to AANZFTA from 1 January 2010 are: Australia, Brunei, Burma, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam. Remaining ASEAN countries have committed to completing their domestic processes expeditiously and are working towards ratification ahead of 1 January 2010. These countries will be listed here as the notifications are received. Only countries that have submitted formal notification of completion of their domestic processes will benefit from the Agreement.
Full Text of the Agreement
The AANZFTA package signed on 27 February 2009 consists of:
- The text of the Agreement containing provisions on goods, services, investment, temporary movement of natural persons, electronic commerce, intellectual property, economic cooperation and competition policy
- Schedules of Tariff commitments by each of the twelve Parties, containing reduction and elimination commitments
- A Schedule containing Product Specific Rules of Origin
- Schedules of Specific Services commitments by each of the twelve Parties
- Schedules of temporary Movement of Natural Persons commitments by each of the twelve Parties
- An Implementing Arrangement [
PDF 90 Kb ] containing an agreed Work Program of Economic Cooperation - A letter [ PDF 22 Kb ] from Australia's Minister for Trade to Vietnam's Minister of Industry and Trade according recognition of Vietnam's Market Economy Status
- A Memorandum of Understanding [ PDF 12 Kb ] on Article 1 (Reduction and/or Elimination of Customs Duties) of the Trade in Goods Chapter relating to general exceptions
- An exchange of letters between Australia's Minister for Trade [ PDF 34 Kb ] and New Zealand's Minister of Trade [ PDF 289 Kb ] on the application of AANZFTA between Australia and New Zealand
For further information, see AANZFTA Fact Sheet - Overview [ PDF 202 Kb ].
Australian Guide to the Agreement
(This Guide outlines AANZFTA obligations. The Guide was prepared by Australian Government officials and does not form part of the Agreement signed by Australian, New Zealand and ASEAN member governments.) Disclaimer
Download Australian Guide [ PDF 169 Kb ]
Download all of the AANZFTA Fact Sheets [ PDF 623 Kb ]
- AANZFTA Fact Sheets
- Guide to the Chapters
- Guide to the Annexes and Associated Documents
- Background to Negotiations [ PDF 16 Kb ]
Making Use of AANZFTA to Export or Import Goods
The following document has been prepared to help exporters and importers to make full use of AANZFTA when it enters into force. It contains practical advice on how to find tariff commitments and Rules of Origin (ROO) requirements for individual products.
» Download Making use of AANZFTA to Export or Import Goods. [
The document also explains the requirement to obtain Certificates of Origin (COO) from authorised bodies to claim preferential tariff treatment, the information required for COO, as well as arrangements for authorising bodies to issue COO under AANZFTA.
» Download the agreed Certificate of Origin form. [
Also available for download are the;
» Guidelines for completing the information on the Origin Conferring Criterion on the Certificate of Origin form of AANZFTA. [
Australian (and New Zealand) exporters who do not wish to provide FOB information to the issuing authority/body have the option of providing this information separately using an;
The Exporter Declaration form needs to be presented with the COO to the Customs Authority of the importing Party at the time of import declaration.
Download all thePDFs above in a single ZIP file;
» Making use of AANZFTA (Complete collection) [ ZIP 372 Kb ]
AANZFTA Enquiries
For questions about AANZFTA not covered on this website, contact the Free Trade Agreement Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade at:
E-mail: asean.fta@dfat.gov.au
Fax: (02) 6261 2187
Postal address:
AANZFTA Enquiries
Free Trade Agreement Division
Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade
R G Casey Building
John McEwen Crescent
BARTON ACT 0221
For media enquiries, please call DFAT's Media Liaison Section: (02) 6261 1555
Doing Business in ASEAN
For more information on doing business with ASEAN Member States, or about specific export opportunities, go to the Austrade website. As well as country-specific information, the Austrade website also provides information on export markets by industry.
Additional Information
Media Releases and Statements
- Largest Australian Free Trade Agreement to Begin in 2010, 25 October 2009
- ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand Leaders’ Statement: Entry into Force of the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area, 25 October 2009
- Regional Trade Ministers Strengthen Trade and Economic Linkages, 15 August 2009
- Australia concludes Southeast Asia trade deal, Minister for Trade, 28 August 2008
- Joint Media Statement of the 13th AEM-CER Consultations in Singapore, 28 August 2008
Background & Fact Sheets
- Fast Facts about ASEAN–Australia–New Zealand FTA
- ASEAN–Australia–New
Zealand FTA Timeline [ PDF 67 Kb ]
- AANZFTA: Overview and key outcomes, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade presentation on AANZFTA for Austrade’s ASEAN Now seminar series, 15-30 October 2009
- Negotiating the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA - a conference paper, 21 July 2009 [ PDF 74 Kb ]
- Australia's Trade and Investment Relationship with ASEAN
- ASEAN economy fact sheet
- Joint Declaration of the Leaders of the ASEAN–Australia and New Zealand Commemorative Summit to launch AANZFTA negotiations (November 2004)
- Guiding Principles for Negotiation on ASEAN–Australia and New Zealand Free Trade Area
- About ASEAN
- ASEAN: Building an Economic Community, a report by DFAT's Economic Analytical Unit, 2006
- The Angkor Agenda: Report of the High Level Task Force on the AFTA-CER Free Trade Area 2000 [ PDF 420 Kb ]