From January 1, 2010, tariffs on all of the commodities traded among six Asean member countries of Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei or Asean-6 would be cut to zero.
Asean's secretary board also stated that at that time, there would be additional 7,881 tariffs to be cut down to 0 percent in Asean-6, including tariffs on steel, plastic, machines, household mechanic tools, chemicals, processed food, paper, cement, pottery, glass, spare parts for motorbikes and cars, air-conditioners, sauces from chilli, fish and soya.
However, the six countries still impose 487 tariffs, counting for 0.89 percent of the total applied for commodities under sensitive group, high-level sensitive group, and those that are not included in the list.
It's considered the first move for realising the agreements of common effective preferential tariff (Cept) towards Asean Free Trade Area (Afta) and lastly, the establishment of Asean Economic Community.
According to the roadmap, up to 2015, the mechanism of common tariff cuts would be applied among the four remaining Asean members of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar. There will be 54,457 tariffs, counting for 99.11 percent of all the tariffs to be applied on all types of goods traded among Asean member countries being cut off.
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