ASEAN to hold tariff talks<\/p>\n
BANGKOK (Reuters): Trade ministers from the Association of
\nSouth East Asian Nations (ASEAN) will meet in Thailand in October
\nto tighten procedures for granting concessions from free trade
\nrules, officials said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Thai commerce ministry officials said ASEAN ministers would
\nmeet in the northern city of Chiang Mai on Oct. 5-7 to adopt
\nrules governing delays in tariff cuts by its members.<\/p>\n
ASEAN agreed in May to consider a Malaysian request to
\nmaintain protective tariffs for its auto industry until January
\n1, 2005.<\/p>\n
Under its ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) scheme, ASEAN members
\nhave agreed to cut tariffs, including those on cars, to between
\nzero and five percent by 2003.<\/p>\n
Thai officials said the rules on granting concessions would be
\nbased on article 28 of the General Agreements on Tariffs and
\nTrade (GATT), due to an absence of a regulatory framework under
\nAFTA.<\/p>\n
The officials said the Chiang Mai meeting would also explore
\nthe e-ASEAN initiative and increased liberalization of the 10-
\nmember group's existing information technology agreement.<\/p>\n
They said ASEAN ministers would hold separate trade talks in
\nChiang Mai with counterparts from Japan, China, South Korea,
\nAustralia and New Zealand.<\/p>\n
\"These trade linkage talks will mostly touch on cooperation
\nand assistance between ASEAN and these other countries,\" a Thai
\nofficial preparing for the meeting said.<\/p>\n
She said ASEAN ministers would also seek to push for progress
\nin setting up an AFTA-CER (AFTA-Australia-New Zealand Closer
\nEconomic Relations) free trade area.<\/p>\n
The official said some ASEAN members, including Malaysia, held
\nthe view that the AFTA-CER concept required more viability
\nstudies and its implementation could probably wait until AFTA
\nitself strengthens its cooperation.<\/p>\n
\"Some members have reservations about the concept due to the
\ncurrent relatively low volume of trade between ASEAN and
\nAustralia and New Zealand,\" she said.<\/p>\n
ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia , Laos, Malaysia,
\nMyanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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