Japan completes procedures to amend trade agreement with ASEAN
Japan has completed its legal procedures necessary for the entry into force of the First Protocol to amend the ASEAN-Japan Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP), announced the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 16.
Tokyo (VNA) – Japan has completed its legalprocedures necessary for the entry into force of the First Protocol to amendthe ASEAN-Japan Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP),announced the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 16.
The Protocol will enter into force in Japan and four ASEANnations of Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand that have completed necessarylegal procedures on August 1.
In a press release, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairsvoiced its hope that the Protocol will promote further trade and investmentbetween Japan and ASEAN and will strengthen the Japan-ASEAN cooperativerelationship.
ASEAN members and Japan began talks on the AJCEP in 2005.The agreement took effect three years later, focusing on trade, while talksregarding investment and services were underway.
It was the first multilateral free trade agreement of Japan.
The First Protocol to Amend the Agreement on ComprehensiveEconomic Partnership was signed by Japan on February 27, 2019, and by ASEAN membersin March and April, 2019.
Article 8 of the Protocol stipulates that it shall enterinto force on the first day of the second month following the date by which thenotifications in writing that legal procedures necessary for entry into forceof the Protocol have been completed have been made by Japan and at least oneASEAN nation.
In relation to an ASEAN member who will make suchnotification in the coming time, including Vietnam, the Protocol shall enterinto force on the first day of the second month following the date on which thenotification is made.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Finance, the country earned16.6 trillion JPY (117 billion USD) from exports to ASEAN in 2018, while purchased goodsworth 12.4 trillion JPY (115.5 billion USD)./.
Japan has promised 3 billion USD in investment and loans to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to boost development in the region, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi was quoted by Kyodo News as saying.
The 14th meeting of the ASEAN-Japan Joint Cooperation Committee (AJJCC) took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, on March 11 under the co-chair of Ambassador Tran Duc Binh, head of the Vietnamese Permanent Mission to ASEAN, and Japanese Ambassador to ASEAN Chiba Akira.
ASEAN and Japan have agreed to support each other in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic by focusing on easing its impact, enhancing economic flexibility, promoting export and solving problems faced by small- and medium-sized enterprises, according to the Thai Ministry of Commerce.
Faced with the negative impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on regional and global economies, including interruptions to supply chains, ASEAN countries are making greater efforts to recover and improve their responsiveness to future risks, Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh has said.
The Republic of Korea (RoK), China and Japan agreed on May 3 to reinforce the regional financial safety net, along with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by launching a new financing facility programme meant to extend greater support in case of a financial crisis.
A technical issue combined with an extreme heatwave was blamed for a series of explosions at a military base that killed 20 soldiers and injured several others in Cambodia on April 27, the country’s Ministry of Defence said in a May 2 statement as reported by the Xinhua news agency.
The Customs Department of Thailand is scheduled to commence the collection of value-added tax (VAT) on imported goods sent via postal services, regardless of the goods value, starting in May.
A lecturer from Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Medicine has warned Thais to be more vigilant against COVID-19, saying infection rates appeare to be worsening with higher hospital admissions, deaths and severe cases.
Malaysia should harness the collective expertise and resources to drive sustainable growth and development of the halal industry, according to Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Laos has officially restored the 10% value-added tax (VAT) rate starting May 1, in a bid to support the country’s budget revenue and socio-economic development.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) entered its second plenary session in Hanoi on the afternoon of April 23, discussing ways to ensure comprehensive security for the people-centred ASEAN Community.
The first session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2024 (AFF 2024) in Hanoi on April 23 focused on fast and sustainable growth for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Canada-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) and the ASEAN Alliance on Carbon Markets (AACM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration and accelerate the implementation of carbon crediting programmes across Southeast Asia.
ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn reaffirmed ASEAN leaders' commitment to empowering the youth to unleash their full potential when he had a dialogue with ASEAN youth in Hanoi on April 22 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Future Forum (AF 2024).
The Thai Government is being urged to increase the proportion of renewable power generation to more than the target of 50% set in the power development plan (PDP).
The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) of Indonesia on April 21 lifted its tsunami advisory issued previously following the eruption of Mount Ruang in Sitaro district of North Sulawesi province.
Thailand expects to export about 1 million tonnes of durian, valued at an estimated 130 billion THB (3.53 billion USD) this year, with most of the shipments to China, according to Minister of Agriculture Thammanat Prompao.
The 72nd meeting of the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and related meetings are being held by the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) of Vietnam in the central city of Da Nang on April 22-26.
Enhancing regional food security and tackling the pressing challenges of climate change will be key agendas defining Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2025, Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat (lower house) Johari Abdul told the press on April 19.
