Editing ASEAN (section)

===Free trade===
[[File:Map of countries with which ASEAN has free trade agreements.svg|thumb|310x310px|{{Legend|#fd1813ff|ASEAN}}{{Legend|#124295ff|Countries with which ASEAN has free trade agreements}}]]
In 1992, the Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT) scheme was adopted as a schedule for phasing out tariffs to increase the "region's competitive advantage as a production base geared for the world market". This law would act as the framework for the [[ASEAN Free Trade Area]] (AFTA), which is an agreement by member states concerning local manufacturing in ASEAN. It was signed on 28 January 1992 in Singapore.<ref name="AFTA">{{cite web|url=http://www.asean.org/12375.htm|title=Agreement on the Common Effective Preferential Tariff Scheme for the ASEAN Free Trade Area, Singapore, 28 Jan 1992|publisher=Asean.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414223453/http://www.asean.org/12375.htm|archive-date=14 April 2009|access-date=21 December 2008}}</ref>

Free trade initiatives in ASEAN are spearheaded by the implementation of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and the Agreement on Customs. These agreements are supported by several sector bodies to plan and to execute free trade measures, guided by the provisions and the requirements of ATIGA and the Agreement on Customs. They form a backbone for achieving targets of the AEC Blueprint and establishing the ASEAN Economic Community by the end of 2015.<ref name="InvestAsian">{{cite web|url=http://www.investasian.com/2015/01/15/asean-economic-communitys-progress/|title=The ASEAN Economic Community's Progress|work=InvestAsian|date=15 January 2015|access-date=14 June 2015|archive-date=30 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930053243/https://www.investasian.com/2015/01/15/aec-2015-problems/|url-status=live}}</ref>

On 26 August 2007, ASEAN stated its aim of completing free trade agreements (FTA) with China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand by 2013, which is in line with the start of the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015.<ref>{{cite news|title=ASEAN to complete free trade agreements by 2013 |url=https://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2007/08/26/afx4054320.html |work=Forbes |date=26 August 2007 |access-date=27 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012121738/http://www.forbes.com/feeds/afx/2007/08/26/afx4054320.html |archive-date=12 October 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Christine |last=Ong |title=ASEAN confident of concluding FTAs with partners by 2013 |url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/economicnews/view/296149/1/.html |publisher=Channel NewsAsia |date=27 August 2007 |access-date=27 August 2007 }}{{dead link|date=June 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In November 2007, ASEAN states signed the ASEAN Charter, a constitution governing relations among member states and establishing the group itself as an international legal entity.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.asean.org/asean/asean-charter/ | title=ASEAN Charter | publisher=ASEAN | access-date=4 March 2016 | archive-date=30 September 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930053247/https://asean.org/asean/asean-charter/charter-of-the-association-of-southeast-asian-nations/ | url-status=live }}</ref> During the same year, the [[Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy Security]] was signed by ASEAN and the other members of the [[East Asian Summit|EAS]] (Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea), which pursues [[energy security]] by finding [[renewable|energy alternatives]] to [[fossil fuels]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/eas/energy0701.html | title=CEBU DECLARATION ON EAST ASIAN ENERGY SECURITY | publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan | access-date=4 March 2016 | archive-date=30 September 2020 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930053238/https://www.mofa.go.jp/region/asia-paci/eas/energy0701.html | url-status=live }}</ref>

On 27 February 2009, an FTA with [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]] was signed. It is believed that this FTA would boost combined GDP across the 12 countries by more than US$48&nbsp;billion over the period between 2000 and 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Trade-and-Economic-Relations/Trade-Agreements/Asean/index.php |title=ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand Free Trade Agreement – NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade |publisher=Mfat.govt.nz |access-date=21 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415060123/http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Trade-and-Economic-Relations/Trade-Agreements/Asean/index.php |archive-date=15 April 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aul8rxM98Jg4 |title=Asean, Australia, New Zealand Sign Free-Trade Deal (Update1) |publisher=Bloomberg |date=27 February 2009 |access-date=21 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202160359/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aul8rxM98Jg4 |archive-date=2 December 2010 }}</ref> The agreement with China created the [[ASEAN–China Free Trade Area]] (ACFTA), which went into full effect on 1 January 2010. In addition, ASEAN was noted to be negotiating an FTA with the [[European Union]].<ref name="FTA">{{cite web |url=http://www.fta.gov.sg/sg_fta.asp |title=Welcome to Singapore FTA Network |publisher=Fta.gov.sg |access-date=21 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209033340/http://www.fta.gov.sg/sg_fta.asp |archive-date=9 December 2008 }}</ref> Bilateral trade with India crossed the US$70 billion target in 2012 (target was to reach the level by 2015).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/650795/trade-value-asean-countries-with-india/|title=India – trade value with ASEAN countries 2016 {{!}} Statistic|website=Statista|access-date=2018-08-29|archive-date=30 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930053248/https://www.statista.com/statistics/650795/trade-value-asean-countries-with-india/|url-status=live}}</ref> Taiwan has also expressed interest in an agreement with ASEAN but needs to overcome diplomatic objections from China.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/10/12/2003425653 |title=Siew calls for pragmatic approach to ASEAN ties |work=The Taipei Times |date=12 October 2008 |location=Taiwan (ROC) |access-date=21 December 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081211235752/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2008/10/12/2003425653| archive-date= 11 December 2008 | url-status=live}}</ref>

ASEAN, together with its six major trading partners (Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea), began the first round of negotiations on 26–28 February 2013, in Bali, Indonesia on the establishment of [[Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership|the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)]],<ref name="ref2013022305">{{Cite news| title = ASEAN+6 trade bloc in the making| publisher = Investvine.com| date = 23 February 2013| url = http://investvine.com/asean6-trade-bloc-in-the-making/| access-date = 24 February 2013| archive-date = 28 March 2013| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130328045835/http://investvine.com/asean6-trade-bloc-in-the-making| url-status = live}}</ref> which is an extension of ASEAN Plus Three and Six that covers 45% of the world's population and about a third of the world's total GDP.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Trade-and-Economic-Relations/2-Trade-Relationships-and-Agreements/RCEP/ |title=Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) |access-date=29 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141029151938/http://www.mfat.govt.nz/Trade-and-Economic-Relations/2-Trade-Relationships-and-Agreements/RCEP/ |archive-date=29 October 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fta.gov.sg/press_release%5CFACTSHEET%20ON%20RCEP_final.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130626012240/http://www.fta.gov.sg/press_release%5CFACTSHEET%20ON%20RCEP_final.pdf |archive-date=26 June 2013 |title=Factsheet on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) |access-date=29 October 2014 }}</ref><ref>Regional integration: the ASEAN vision in 2020 by Rosabel B. Guerrero; Director, Department of Economic Statistics, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Manila, Philippines.</ref>

In 2019, [[Reuters]] highlighted a mechanism used by traders to avoid the 70% tariff on [[ethanol]] imported into China from the United States, involving importing the fuel into Malaysia, mixing it with at least 40% ASEAN-produced fuel, and re-exporting it to China tariff-free under ACFTA rules.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-ethanol-insight/long-strange-trip-how-u-s-ethanol-reaches-china-tariff-free-idUSKCN1PW0BR|title=Long, strange trip: How U.S. ethanol reaches China tariff-free|work=reuters.com|first1=Chris|last1=Prentice|first2=A.|last2=Ananthalakshmi|date=7 February 2019|access-date=7 February 2019|archive-date=30 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930053244/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-ethanol-insight/long-strange-trip-how-u-s-ethanol-reaches-china-tariff-free-idUSKCN1PW0BR|url-status=live}}</ref>