ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA)

Under ATIGA, in effect since 2010, goods meeting rules of origin, generally 40 percent regional value content or a change in tariff heading, trade at zero or near-zero tariffs, supported by Form D certificates or self-certification. Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand removed duties on almost all tariff lines by 2010, and Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam largely by 2018. Members exchange electronic certificates through the ASEAN Single Window.

AFTA lets brands that source in Southeast Asia move components and finished goods between member countries duty-free, which supports regional hub strategies for Asia-Pacific fulfillment. A company can store inventory in a Singapore or Malaysian warehouse and ship to buyers in Thailand or the Philippines at preferential rates if the goods qualify as ASEAN-originating. It also matters for US tariff planning: as brands shift production from China to Vietnam or Thailand, regional component sourcing affects both preference eligibility and origin claims.

• Certificate of OriginDocument that proves where goods were made
• Country of OriginCountry where goods were made
• Harmonized System CodeHS CodeSix-digit international product code

• Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)2020, in force 2022 · Asia-Pacific trade pact covering 15 economies

1. ASEAN: ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement asean.org