Asean to hold talks on ways to approach tariff threat but some members are already making their own moves to negotiate with Trump’s administration
On the sidelines of the 2024 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Lima, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau jointly announced the ‘substantive conclusion of negotiations’ for a Canada–Indonesia Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement. Set to come into effect in 2025, this agreement highlights Canada’s progress as a latecomer to the Southeast Asian economic stage just three years after introducing its Indo-Pacific Strategy.
The high-level plenary session of the ASEAN Future Forum 2025 on February 26 focused on ASEAN’s future, strategic autonomy, economic sustainability, and regional cooperation, with the participation of Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, and Timor-Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta.
The Investment, Trade and Industry Minister said this includes upgrading the Asean Trade In Goods Agreement (Atiga), continuing discussions on the Digital Economic Framework Agreement (Defa) and Timor Leste's membership into the grouping.
Vietnam’s rice exports to the Philippines reached record highs in 2024, solidifying the country’s position as the leading rice supplier.
The EU is already ASEAN's third largest trade partner, and they have free trade agreements with two ASEAN members, and four more are under negotiations.
The ASEAN Future Forum 2025 opened in Hanoi on February 25, and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, on behalf of the host country, proposed three strategic priorities and three breakthrough actions to realise the bloc’s development orientations.
Malaysia, serving as the ASEAN chair this year, has agreed to expedite Timor-Leste's membership process following a decision made at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat held in Langkawi in January.
<p>Time: November 2025<br /> By: WTO and International Trade Group, Legal Department – VCCI</p>
