MALAYSIA is stepping up its leadership role in ASEAN to cut non-tariff barriers (NTBs) and strengthen regional trade ties, aiming to create a more open market that helps small and medium enterprises (SMEs) grow across borders.
Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) Deputy Minister Liew Chin Tong (picture) said ASEAN is committed to enhancing cooperation through several mechanisms, including the establishment of the Sectoral Coordinating Committee on the Implementation of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (CCA) and the ASEAN Trade Facilitation Joint Consultative Committee (ATF-JCC) to strengthen coordination and transparency among member states.
“The region has also developed the ASEAN Single Window (ASW), a digital platform that enables the electronic exchange of customs documents such as e-Form D, allowing trade processes to be faster, safe and more efficient.
“ASEAN has also issued guidelines on the implementation of non-tariff measures to ensure transparency through the ASEAN Trade Repository, allowing progress to be monitored and reviewed openly by all stakeholders,” he told Dewan Rakyat today.
Liew added that other measures include the Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA), which allows products that have been certified in one ASEAN country to be accepted in another without retesting and improvements under the ASEAN Trade In Goods Agreement (ATIGA) to harmonise customs procedures and facilitate trade.
He was replying to Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Wan Saifulruddin Wan Jan, who asked about Malaysia’s leadership in reducing NTBs in ASEAN to support SME growth across the region.
In a supplementary question, Wan Saifulruddin cited ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) chairman Tan Sri Nazir Razak, who highlighted a rise in NTB despite lower tariffs, urging Malaysia to remain committed to free trade principles.
Liew said ASEAN’s ongoing initiative including ASEAN-BAC 2.0, which Malaysia proposed in Budget 2026, aims to create more ASEAN-based multinationals and strengthen regional supply chains.
“The ASEAN Business Act 2.0, hosted by Malaysia, envisions more ASEAN multinationals conducting industrial and economic activities within the region, reducing reliance on companies from the West,” he said.
Source: https://themalaysianreserve.com/2025/10/27/miti-pushes-asean-to-cut-non-tariff-barriers-boost-sme-growth/

