Seven Sub-Committee meetings held on the margins to advance agreement review

India hosted the 10th Meeting of the ASEAN–India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) Joint Committee and related meetings at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, from August 10 to 14, 2025. The meetings, held in a hybrid format, were co-chaired by Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, Shri Nitin Kumar Yadav, and Deputy Secretary General (Trade), Ministry of Investment, Trade & Industry, Malaysia, Ms. Mastura Ahmad Mustafa. Delegates from all ten ASEAN Member States — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam — participated.

The Joint Committee focused on advancing the ongoing review of AITIGA to enhance its effectiveness, accessibility, and trade facilitation capabilities. The discussions built on the progress achieved through eight active rounds of negotiations.

Seven of the eight Sub-Committees under the AITIGA Joint Committee also met on the margins, namely: The Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation (SC-CPTF), Legal and Institutional Issues (SC-LII), National Treatment and Market Access (SC-NTMA), Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SC-SPS), Rules of Origin (SC-ROO), Standards, Technical Regulations and Conformity Assessment Procedures (SC-STRACAP), and Trade Remedies (SC-TR). These meetings provided a platform for deeper collaboration, ensuring alignment with the broader goals of updating AITIGA.

ASEAN remains a key trade partner for India, accounting for around 11% of India’s global trade. Bilateral trade reached USD 123 billion in 2024–25, reflecting the strong economic ties between the two sides and creating opportunities for enhanced cooperation in the years ahead.

The next AITIGA Joint Committee meeting is scheduled for 6–7 October 2025 at the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, and will be hosted by Malaysia.

AITIGA review advances to improve trade facilitation and market access following multi party subcommittee consultations and standards alignment. The Joint Committee advanced a structured review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement to strengthen trade facilitation, market access, and regulatory coherence. Seven specialist Sub Committees met to examine customs procedures, rules of origin, trade remedies, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, standards and conformity assessment, national treatment and market access, and legal and institutional issues, aligning negotiation workstreams and identifying priorities for updating AITIGA.