U.S. mulls FTAs with ASEAN members<\/p>\n
Associated Press, Manila<\/p>\n
The United States would be willing to open free-trade
\nnegotiations with some members of the Association of Southeast
\nAsian Nations (ASEAN), a senior U.S. official said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Washington would be willing to talk on establishing free-trade
\ndeals with Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia and the
\nPhilippines, according to Barbara Weisel, assistant U.S. trade
\nrepresentative in the Asia-Pacific region<\/p>\n
The negotiations would fall under a U.S. program offering
\nfree-trade deals with ASEAN members that already have a Trade and
\nInvestment Framework Agreement with Washington and are World
\nTrade Organization (WTO) members, she said.<\/p>\n
The United States has completed a free-trade agreement with
\nSingapore and is now in early negotiations with another ASEAN
\nmember Thailand.<\/p>\n
No timeframe has been set for negotiations with the countries,
\nWeisel said, pointing out that U.S. standards are high.<\/p>\n
Weisel warned however that the negotiation process would be
\ndifficult because it involves a strong commitment to structural
\nreforms and liberalization in respective countries.<\/p>\n
The objective is to "tie our futures in a way that we have
\ncommon goals" that will result in a win-win opportunity for both
\nsides, she said.<\/p>\n
The 10-member ASEAN also includes Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam,
\nwhich groups together a combined market of about 500 million in
\npopulation.<\/p>",
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