ASEAN seeks closer ties with CER, southern Africa
ASEAN seeks closer ties with CER, southern Africa
By Riyadi
KUALA LUMPUR (JP): The Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) and the Closer Economic Relations (CER) group of
Australia and New Zealand agreed in a consultation meeting here
yesterday to eliminate trade barriers.
Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry Rafidah
Aziz said that ministers from the regional countries had received
a list of trade barriers from private sectors of both regions.
"The ministers recognize the value of such compilations to
promote greater transparency in trade and they underscore the
need for the lists to be continually updated," Rafidah said in a
press briefing.
In view of the country-specific nature of the barriers
identified, she added, the ministers had assigned officials from
relevant countries in ASEAN and CER to look into this further on
a bilateral basis.
According to an Indonesian official attending the meeting,
most barriers identified by CER's private sector were mostly high
tariffs imposed by some ASEAN countries.
ASEAN's private sector identified mostly nontariff barriers
imposed by Australia and New Zealand, like antidumping measures,
standards -- including quarantines -- and labeling.
Nevertheless, trade between the two regions has increased
significantly. ASEAN's exports to CER rose 16.4 percent to US$6.9
billion last year from $5.9 billion in 1995. Imports from CER
jumped 22 percent to $9.8 billion from $8 billion.
To improve trade flow between the two regions, the ministers
directed senior officials to work with the ASEAN-CER Business
Council to identify priority issues to be reported back to the
next consultation meeting next year.
The ministers also discussed the existing cooperation
activities toward ASEAN-CER linkages, like those in standards and
conformance, service sectors -- especially transport and tourism
-- and customs.
The ministers also agreed to pursue additional cooperation in
human resources development, investment promotion, other service
sectors -- especially professional and construction services --
electronic commerce and sanitary and phyto-sanitary issues.
The ministers also asserted that temporary economic
difficulties and wild exchange rate fluctuations experienced by
some economies in the region would not have a negative long-term
impact on economic potential.
"The ministers expressed their confidence and optimism in the
future economic prospects of these economies, and reaffirmed
their commitment to undertake the necessary measures to advance
such interregional linkages," said Australian Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister of Trade Tim Fischer.
Besides interregional trade issues, ASEAN and CER ministers
also discussed multilateral trade issues to seek common positions
on various negotiations under the World Trade Organization,
especially on agricultural and financial services.
ASEAN economic ministers also held another consultation
meeting yesterday with ministers from southern African countries
grouped in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to
strengthen trade and investment ties between the two regions.
Two-way trade between ASEAN and SADC countries was still very
meager, standing at $3.2 billion last year, but the potential was
very great, said SADC chairman William Shija, who is also
Tanzanian minister of trade and industry.
"The SADC region has a market size of 184 million people, high
economic growth, a low inflation rate, raw materials and other
resources, including energy," Shija said.
ASEAN and SADC ministers agreed to enhance cooperation between
the two regions, especially in metal engineering,
telecommunications, agriculture and infrastructure development.
Nevertheless, the ministers agreed that initial cooperation
between the two regions should focus on trade and investment
promotion and facilitations, strengthening private sector
linkages, links between research institutions, and transfer of
technology between the two regions.