Posted on 02 Dec 2008
Japan-ASEAN FTA takes effect
A comprehensive free trade agreement between Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations entered into force Monday, Japanese officials said. The FTA begins with Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and Vietnam, which have already completed domestic ratification procedures, they said.
This is Japan’s first multilateral FTA and its eighth FTA after bilateral agreements with Singapore, Mexico, Malaysia, Chile, Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei. The government is hoping the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, signed in April, will help Japanese firms seize larger business opportunities in the fast-growing region overall.
