ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) Upgrade to Address Sustainability and Competitiveness

Under Malaysia's leadership, the ATIGA and other regional agreements will undergo significant upgrades this year. Satvinder Singh, the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for the Economic Community, announced that ATIGA will be modernized to incorporate sustainability concerns, particularly the need for circularity in global supply chains. The upgraded agreement will ensure that industries meet requirements such as ensuring 40% of value chains are circular and recycled.
The ATIGA upgrade also aims to improve the movement of goods, focusing on facilitating remanufacturing global supply chains and addressing tariff-related issues. ASEAN businesses will benefit from these changes as regional rules become more aligned with global standards, helping to attract investments to the region.The inclusion of mediation as a potential alternative to arbitration for dispute management is also under consideration, which could streamline conflict resolution processes within the region.