Parties Complete Negotiations to Upgrade ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand FTA

Australia, New Zealand and the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations completed negotiations this week to upgrade the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement. The upgrade will “strengthen and improve” the trade deal with new provisions on electronic commerce, competition, customs procedures, trade facilitation, rules of origin and more, Australia said. It also will “support traders to conduct business in the region, particularly when it comes to completing documentation -- everything from origin certification to invoicing requirements,” the country said.