ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand signed the Agreement Establishing the ASEAN –Australia – New Zealand Free Trade Area on February 2nd, 2009, which came into effect from January 1st, 2010. Such agreement is quite comprehensive, containing detailed commitments on goods, services (also including financial and telecommunications services), investment, electronic commerce, movement of natural persons, intellectual property, competition policy and economic co-operation.
The ASEAN-Australia dialogue relationship has evolved and matured considerably since Australia became ASEAN's very first Dialogue Partner more than three decades ago in 1974.
Effective date: May 1st 2012 Issuing authority: the Ministry of Industry and Trade
Effective date: September 1st 2016 Issuing authority: the Government
Date: 2015 By: Ministry of Industry and Trade
Australia’s dialogue partner relationship with ASEAN is more suitable for Australian interests in Southeast Asia than the idea of ASEAN membership.
