ASEAN-wide-Self-Certification

The establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015 is a major milestone in the regional economic integration agenda in ASEAN, offering opportunities in the form of a huge market of US$ 2.6 trillion and over 622 million people.

The AEC Blueprint 2025, adopted by the ASEAN Leaders at the 27th ASEAN Summit on 22 November 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, provides broad directions through strategic measures for the AEC from 2016 to 2025. The AEC Blueprint 2025 is aimed towards achieving the vision of having an AEC by 2025 that is highly integrated and cohesive;
competitive, innovative and dynamic; with enhanced connectivity and sectoral cooperation; and a more resilient, inclusive, and peopleoriented, people-centred community, integrated with the global economy.

The AEC Blueprint 2025 sets out the strategic measures under each of the five characteristics of AEC 2025. To operationalise the Blueprint’s implementation, these strategic measures have been elaborated in
and implemented through the work plans of various sectoral bodies in ASEAN.

The implementation of AEC Blueprint 2015 measures relating to tariff elimination in accordance with the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and trade facilitation measures have contributed to the greater free flow of goods. In AEC 2025, ASEAN will continue to reduce or eliminate border and behind-the-border regulatory barriers that impede
trade, so as to achieve competitive, efficient, and seamless movement of goods within the region.

To realise the AEC 2025 vision, the Strategic Action Plan (SAP) 2016- 2025 for trade in goods continues to strengthen the single market and production base where the free flow of goods must remain as the fundamental goal. ASEAN will aim to achieve more integrated trade regimes, eliminate the remaining obstacles to regional trade and promote a rules-based system to enable businesses to benefit the most from ATIGA. The AWSC Scheme is under the strategic measure “Simplify and strengthen the implementation of the rules of origin”, with the Specific Action Lines 3.2.3 (Realisation of ASEAN-wide Self-Certification).