The Vietnamese delegation, led by Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, attended the meeting virtually.
On May 9, the 2nd ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Special Meeting on the Negotiations for the Upgrading of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) was held virtually under the chair of the Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Industry, with the participation of ASEAN Economic Ministers and the ASEAN Secretary-General. The Vietnamese delegation was led by Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, along with representatives from the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Justice.
The meeting took place amid a dynamic and unpredictable global trading environment. Therefore, the ASEAN Economic Ministers shared the view that concluding the ATIGA upgrade negotiations would send positive signals to the business community about ASEAN’s strong commitment to regional economic integration through trade barrier reduction, trade facilitation, and supply chain connectivity improvement. It also affirmed ASEAN’s support for an open, transparent, and rules-based multilateral trading system.
The Vietnamese delegation attended the meeting virtually.
At the meeting, the ASEAN Economic Ministers highly appreciated the efforts of the ATIGA Upgrade Negotiating Committee (TNC) and technical groups during the negotiation process. They acknowledged that, after 14 official negotiation sessions, ASEAN countries have completed nearly 98% of the negotiation agenda.
The TNC Chair reported to the Ministers on outstanding issues in areas such as rules of origin, refurbished goods, transparency, further tariff liberalization, and the effectiveness of the upgraded ATIGA. The Chair also provided recommendations to address these issues. Based on the report, the Ministers provided necessary guidance to work towards a flexible, practical, and mutually beneficial conclusion to the negotiations, reaffirming their commitment to finalizing and signing the upgraded ATIGA as per the agreed timeline.
On Vietnam’s behalf, Minister Nguyen Hong Dien supported the early conclusion of the ATIGA upgrade negotiations and applauded the positive results of the TNC and technical groups’ work. After sharing Vietnam’s perspectives on the TNC Chair’s proposals and demonstrating maximum flexibility on outstanding issues to advance the negotiation process, the Minister called on ASEAN countries to uphold the ASEAN spirit and collectively resolve remaining differences based on balancing interests, aiming for a feasible, effective, and sustainable upgraded ATIGA for all parties.
The meeting concluded successfully on the same day, setting a favorable foundation for subsequent negotiation rounds. It aims to sign the Second Protocol to Upgrade ATIGA during the 47th ASEAN Summit, expected to be held in November 2025 in Malaysia.
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