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    Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement

    On this page

    About the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement

    The Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement (MAFTA) is a comprehensive, high-quality agreement that further integrates the Australian economy into the fast-growing Asian region. This agreement entered into force on 1 January 2013 and builds on benefits already flowing to the Australian economy from the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA).

    MAFTA is one of four FTAs Australian businesses can use to trade with Malaysia. In addition to MAFTA and AANZFTA, Malaysia is also a party to both the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

    Australia's then Minister for Trade, Craig Emerson, and Malaysia's then Minister for International Trade and Industry, Mustapa Mohamed, signed the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement (MAFTA) in Kuala Lumpur on 22 May 2012.

    MAFTA opens avenues for Australian goods and services into the dynamic Malaysian market.

    News

    June 2021

    First meeting of the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement Joint Commission

    Call for submissions on Malaysia-Australia FTA

    April 2013

    To assist business, a schedule is now available showing Malaysia's implementation of its MAFTA tariff commitments in the latest version of the Harmonized System, HS 2012.

    For more information see Annex 1 under the Official Documents Tab

    January 2013

    The Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement (MAFTA) entered into force on 1 January 2013.

    Media release: Free Trade Agreement with Malaysia in Force. 1 January 2013

    December 2012

    Australia and Malaysia exchanged written confirmation that each had completed its domestic procedures to allow MAFTA to enter into force on 1 January 2013.

    October 2012

    The Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) released its report on the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement on 31 October 2012. JSCOT Report 130 recommended that binding treaty action be taken.

    August 2012

    The text of the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement (MAFTA) was tabled in Parliament on 14 August 2012 and was considered by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT) in accordance with Australia's domestic approval processes.

    May 2012

    Former Minister for Trade, Craig Emerson, and Malaysia's Minister for Trade and Industry, Mustapa Mohamed, signed the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement (MAFTA) in Kuala Lumpur on 22 May 2012.

    MAFTA negotiations were finalised on 30 March 2012, consistent with a commitment by former Prime Minister Gillard and Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib to conclude within 12 months of their March 2011 meeting in Canberra.

    Dr Emerson exchanging Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement side-letters with Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry, Dato' Sri Mustapa Mohamed.22 May 2012
    Then Minister for Trade Dr Craig Emerson exchanges MAFTA side-letters with Malaysian Minister for International Trade and Industry Dato' Sri Mustapa Mohamed, 22 May 2012.

    January 2012

    Keynote Address by former Minister Emerson to the Australia Malaysia Business Council and the Malaysia Australia Business Council, 30 January 2012.

    March 2011

    During a joint press conference with Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib in Canberra, former Prime Minister Gillard committed to finalising the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement.

    Transcript of joint press conference with Prime Minister Najib, Canberra, 3 March 2011.

    Official documents

    The MAFTA package signed on 22 May 2012 consists of:

    Malaysia's MAFTA schedule of tariff commitments was finalised using the tariff classification format known as HS 2007, and the tariff schedule annexed to the Agreement is in this format. The Product Specific Rules annexed to the Agreement also use the HS 2007 format. However, both Australia and Malaysia now make use of the updated tariff classification format known as HS 2012 and MAFTA has been implemented by the two Parties using this updated format. Malaysia's MAFTA tariff schedule, and the Product Specific Rules, have therefore been converted by the Parties into the HS 2012 format and are included on this page to assist business in making use of the Agreement (along with the HS 2007 versions attached to the Agreement). As Australia's tariff schedule binds tariffs on all products at tariff-free treatment from entry-into-force of the Agreement, it does not need to make use of the above tariff classification formats to record commitments.

    Text of the Agreement

    Chapters 1 to 21 of the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement

    Annexes

    Annex 1 – Tariff Schedules (HS 2012)

    Annex 2 – Product Specific Rules (HS 2012)

    Annex 3 – Schedules of Specific Services Commitments

    Annex 4 – Schedules of Movement of Natural Persons Commitments

    Side Letters

    Implementing Arrangement for Economic Cooperation

    Economic and Technical Cooperation Implementing Arrangement

    Non-Legally Binding Exchange of Letters

    Guide to the agreement

    The Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement (MAFTA) will benefit Australian exporters, importers and consumers by opening markets and freeing trade and investment between our two countries.

    The Agreement builds on the commitments made by both countries in Australia's regional Free Trade Agreement with ASEAN and New Zealand (AANZFTA).

    Guides by sector

    Chapter summaries

    Chapter summaries - an introduction to the text of the agreement

    For more information on doing business in Malaysia and about specific export opportunities, see the Austrade website. As well as country-specific information, the Austrade website also has a database that can be searched by industry.

    Malaysia is a member of ASEAN and party to the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA).

    Resources

    Government response to the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties Report 130

    Government response to JSCOT 130 tabled on 17 July 2014

    Joint Standing Committee on Treaties Report 130

    JSCOT Report 130 tabled on 31 October 2012

    MAFTA National Interest Analysis

    National Interest Analysis and Consultation on the Malaysia Free Trade Agreement

    MAFTA Regulation Impact Statement

    The MAFTA Regulation Impact Statement, as provided to the Office of Best Practice and Regulation

    Negotiating updates

    Australian Scoping Study: An Australia-Malaysia FTA

    In July 2004, Australia and Malaysia agreed to conduct parallel scoping studies of a free trade agreement (FTA). These studies were to provide a basis for the two governments to decide whether to proceed to negotiations.

    The study below was Australia's contribution to the parallel scoping studies. Its main focus was the impact of a free trade agreement on Australia. The study found solid and worthwhile economic benefits for Australia from entering into a free trade agreement with Malaysia.

    Submissions

    The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade invited submissions from individuals or groups on issues relevant to the negotiation of an FTA with Malaysia.

    All submissions have been made publicly available on the DFAT website unless the author specified that all or part of the submission should not be made available to the public.

    Confidentiality

    Where organisations have not provided permission for their submissions to be publicly released, these submissions have been omitted from the list below and are not available to the public.

    Copyright and content

    Copyright in submissions resides with the author(s), not with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

    The views expressed in these submissions are the views of the author(s) and should not be understood as reflecting the views of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

    File format

    Submissions were provided to us in a range of formats but submissions have been published as PDF files. Free programs are available to read PDFs.

    Public submissions to the Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement Negotiations

    Public submissions to the Australian Scoping Study (as received by sector):

    General business
    Agriculture, fishing and processed food
    Manufacturing and mining
    Services
    Unions, NGOs and others
    States and territory governments

    Other resources

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    Malaysia (MAFTA)

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