The 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits On 11-13 November 2022 in Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia, the meeting took place with the following key outcomes: The Meeting emphasised the importance of strengthening the ASEAN Community to tackle challenges together on public health issues, food and energy security, and climate change. The aim is also to strengthen relations both within ASEAN and with external partners through utilising the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and free trade agreements between ASEAN and the negotiating partners. In addition, the Meeting pushed for cooperation in digital technology, sustainable development, and maintaining peace and stability in the region by giving importance to ASEAN Centrality in the region. In this connection, the ASEAN leaders jointly endorsed the outcome documents, such as the ASEAN Leaders' Statement on the 55th Anniversary of ASEAN, ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on ASEAN Connectivity Post-2025 Agenda, as well as endorsing and noting economic outcome documents, such as the Phnom Penh Declaration on Transforming ASEAN Tourism, and an in-depth assessment document on Timor-Leste's development and readiness to join the ASEAN Economic Agreements.

The 28th ASEAN Economic Ministers Retreat (AEM Retreat) (via video conference) on 16 March 2022.

     The Minister of Commerce (H.E. Mr. Jurin Laksanawisit) assigned the Vice-Minister for Commerce (H.E. Dr. Sansern Samalapa) to lead the Thai delegation in attending the meeting. The key issues can be summarized as follows:
     1) Cambodia, as the ASEAN Chair, pushed for key achievements under the concept of "ASEAN A.C.T. : Addressing Challenges Together", totaling 19 issues under 4 strategies, the negotiations for upgrading the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement with Australia-New Zealand, expediting the RCEP agreement to enter into force for all countries as soon as possible, and jointly announced the start of negotiations to upgrade the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement to be modern and in-line with the current international trade model, with the goal to conclude the negotiations within 2024.
     2) Endorsed the guidelines on economic recovery from the COVID-19 issue.
     3) Endorsed, in principle, the extension of the MoU until November 2024 on the principle that ASEAN will not limit the export of essential goods during COVID-19, and urged to member states to give their opinions on the expansion of the list of essential goods.
     4) Develop a strategy on economic relations with countries outside ASEAN and approaches for negotiating new issues to upgrade the ASEAN Free Trade Agreements with the Dialogue Partners.
     5) Concluded the scope of the review of the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement.
     6) Discussed the economic impact of the Russia-Ukraine situation.
     7) Consulted with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) and will work together to push forward important priorities in 2022 on issues such as trade facilitation, sustainability and circular economy, preparing ASEAN to become a digital society, as well as on coping with economic and social impacts from the COVID-19 outbreak.
     8) Thailand informed the Meeting on Thailand’s APEC Chairmanship under the theme of "Open. Connect. Balance.", which is in line with issues that ASEAN places importance upon.

The 29th ASEAN Economic Ministers Retreat (AEM Retreat) On 21-22 March 2023 in Magelang. Republic of Indonesia.

     The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: 1) Priority Economic Deliverables (PEDs) that Indonesia pushed to achieve as the ASEAN Chair in 2023;      2) Annual Priorities for 2023 (APs); 3) Negotiations to upgrade the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA); 4) ASEAN Digital Economy Framework (DEFA); 5) ASEAN Strategy for Carbon Neutrality; 6) Implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community 2025; 7) Prioritisation of FTA Negotiations; 8) Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP); 9) Timor-Leste's accession to ASEAN; and 10) Discussion with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC).

ASEAN Economic Ministers' Special Meeting (AEMs' Special Meeting) between 17-19 May 2022 in the Republic of Indonesia.

     The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce (H.E. Mr. Jurin Laksanawisit) assigned the Vice-Minister for Commerce (H.E. Dr. Sansern Samalapa) to lead the Thai delegation to attend the meeting. Key points from the meeting were as follows:
     1) Noted that ASEAN will recover and become strong once again, with the regional GDP expected to grow by 4.9 percent in 2022 and reach 5.2 percent in 2023. The meeting then discussed the way to recover the economy from the challenges posed by the geopolitical conflicts amongst the important economies, and the Russia-Ukraine crisis that impacts the supply chain. The meeting viewed that the mechanism to drive ASEAN into the future should focus on the aspects of digital technology and sustainable development.
     2) Discussed the issue of the US’s Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) and the EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. ASEAN reiterated its position as a region that is open, transparent, adheres to the rules and ASEAN centrality.
     3) The Philippines and Indonesia have ratified the RCEP agreement and agreed on an ASEAN common position on consideration of the date on which the agreement enter-into-force for Myanmar.
     4) On trade and environmental issues and climate change, the Meeting viewed that resolving the environmental problem is an important issue, while, the implementation of trade-related environmental measures should adhere to the principles and international rules, including the WTO.
     5) Discussions on new industrial initiatives or projects that will increase the value of intra-ASEAN trade and promote value chains, especially in the important sectors that will help to handle the food security and public health issues by taking into account the interests and expertise of each member state.

The 54th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting (AEM) and Related Meetings between 14-15 September 2022 in the Kingdom of Cambodia.

     Vice-Minister for Commerce (H.E. Mr. Sansern Samalapa) was assigned by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce (H.E. Mr. Jurin Laksanawisit) to lead the Thai delegation to attend the meeting. The key points of discussions were:
     1) Agreed to work together to revive the regional economy and to prepare ASEAN on the digital economy issue, as well as to accelerate the ratification of RCEP by the remaining countries by the end of 2022.
     2) Expedite the negotiations of ASEAN Free Trade Agreement to become modern and align with the new model of trade including the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and existing FTAs including ASEAN-India, ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand, and ASEAN-China, as well as to negotiate FTAs with new dialogue partners such as ASEAN-Canada that will increase trade opportunities for Thai businesses in terms of market expansion and trade facilitation. At the same time, to accelerate the development of a strategic plan on carbon neutrality for ASEAN and to expedite concluding the core elements) of the vision for ASEAN Community after 2025, together with the report on the assessment of the readiness of Timor-Leste to become an ASEAN member under the economic pillar.

The 55th ASEAN Economic Minister’s (AEM) Meeting and Related Meetings Between 17-22 August 2023 in Semarang, Republic of Indonesia.

     The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce (H.E. Mr. Jurin Laksanawisit) assigned the Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Commerce (Mr. Ekachat Sitaworarat) to attend the meeting. The Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Trade Negotiations (Mr. Duangarthit Nidhi-u-tai) also participated. The main points from the meeting can be summarised as follows: The Meeting discussed and summarised important economic work of ASEAN in 2023 and prepared to consider the outcomes of important economic initiatives, such as 
        1) Study report of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA); 2) Leaders' Statement on the Development of the DEFA; 3) ASEAN Strategy for Carbon Neutrality; and (4) ASEAN Blue Economy Framework. The Meeting also followed up on the progress of negotiations and the upgrading of the free trade agreements (FTA), such as (1) ASEAN-China FTA Upgrade Negotiations; 
        2) Development of the ASEAN-Japan Economic Implementation Plan; 
        3) Negotiations to review the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement; and 
        4) Negotiations of the ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement. The Meeting also held discussions with trade ministers of the United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Kingdom to summarise the outcomes of the development of the work plan on economic and trade cooperation over the next 1-2 years before presenting the results to the ASEAN Summit to be held in September 2023.

The 43rd HLTF-EI Meeting on 1-3 March 2023 in Belitung, Republic of Indonesia. 
     The Thai delegation led by the Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Trade Negotiations (Miss Chotima Iamsawadikul) attended the meeting. The main outcomes of the meeting can be summarised as follows: 
        1) The Meeting jointly drove the strategic issues of ASEAN, particularly on creating the vision of the ASEAN Economic Community after 2025 (AEC Post-2025 Vision), as well as laying down guidelines for sustainable economic development and to find ways to strengthen trade and investment within ASEAN; 
        2) Discuss sustainable development policies of the economic pillars, one of the key areas for Indonesia as the ASEAN Chair. Issues include the development of the ASEAN Blue Economy Framework, energy transition to achieve energy security and to increase the usage proportion of renewable energy in place of fossil energy, and promoting the capability of electric vehicles, especially through having a supporting ecosystem. It is considered that such operations must be driven together with the issue of sustainable finance to achieve concrete results. In addition, there was also support for the implementation of the circular economy and the strategy to achieve carbon neutrality in the region as a new mechanism to drive the ASEAN economy in the future.

The 44th HLTF-EI Meeting and Related Meetings between 29-31 July 2023 in Lombok, Republic of Indonesia. 
     The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: The Meeting discussed recommendations to be presented to the 55th ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting in August 2023, especially on the visions for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) after 2025, strategy for achieving deeper economic integration and enhancing the efficiency of operating mechanisms under the AEC to support work in the future. The Meeting also engaged with the co-chairs of the High-Level Task Force responsible for creating the overall ASEAN vision (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) to coordinate the preparation of the ASEAN vision to be consistent across all 3 ASEAN communities.
 

The 21st AEC Council Meeting On 10 November 2022 in Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia. 
     The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: 
     1) The Priority Economic Deliverables that Cambodia, as ASEAN Chairman, pushes to achieve in 2022 (PEDs) contains a total of 19 priorities. 10 priorities have already been completed, such as the ASEAN Agreement on the Movement of Natural Persons, which has reached conclusion on the revision to the schedule of commitments and agreed for the member states to sign the protocol to amend the agreement intersessionally; 
     2) On ASEAN Digital Transformation, the focus is to monitor the progress of the 4th Industrial Revolution and the implementation of the Bandar Seri Begawan Roadmap (BSBR), as well as preparation for the development of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA); 
     3) Regarding sustainable development in ASEAN, the implementation of the Framework for Circular Economy for the ASEAN Economic Community, as well as the development of the ASEAN Strategy for Carbon Neutrality; 
     4) Development of the ASEAN Community Vision after 2025: the ASEAN Secretariat presented the core elements of the vision for the economic pillar; 
     5) Indonesia presented her priorities for chairing ASEAN in 2023 focusing on economic recovery, supporting the digital economy, and sustainable development; and 
     6) Dialogue between the AEC Council Ministers and Ministers from 3 sectoral bodies (agriculture and forestry, energy, and transportation) to exchange views of each sector and to find ways to work together to push toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The emphasis is also placed on the participation of stakeholders from both the public and private sectors.

The 22nd AEC Council Meeting On 7 May 2023 in Jakarta, Republic of Indonesia. 
     The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: 
        1) The Meeting took place at the level of Deputy Prime Ministers for Economic Affairs of ASEAN. The meeting aimed to summarise the progress and outcomes of the first half of the year under the economic pillar before presenting to the 42nd ASEAN Summit. The focus was on the issues of sustainable development, ASEAN's transition towards becoming a digital economy, Timor-Leste joining, etc. This meeting was also the first time that the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs of Timor-Leste attended; 
        2) The Meeting endorsed the draft ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Developing Regional Electric Vehicle Ecosystem. The declaration expressed the intention of ASEAN Leaders to push ASEAN to become the centre for the global electric vehicle industry, as well as to clearly express the intention of transitioning from oil to alternative energy, particularly electrical energy in line with the global agenda on climate change. The ASEAN leaders will adopt the declaration at the ASEAN Summit on 10-11 May 2023; and 
        3) follow up and note other important developments, such as the Action Plan for the ASEAN Circular Economy Framework, the designation of a national coordinating agency for each member to support the development of the ASEAN Strategy for Carbon Neutrality, the progress in developing the ASEAN Blue Economy Framework, and the progress on creating a mechanism for categorising businesses that take into account the environmental issues for providing financial support, subsidies, and private sector investment to achieve clear criteria with similar standards.

The 23rd AEC Council Meeting On 3 September 2023 in Jakarta, Republic of Indonesia 
     The Minister of Commerce assigned the Deputy Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Commerce (Mr. Ekachat Sitaworarat) to attend the meeting. The main outcomes from the meeting can be summarised as follows: The Meeting announced the launch of the negotiations for the ASEAN Digital Economy Agreement. The ASEAN Coordinating Committee on Electronic Commerce and Digital Economy, or ACCED, has scheduled the first round of negotiations to begin in November 2023 and aims to conclude the results within two years.  The said agreement will help ASEAN to have a common, open, and secure framework for digital trade for digital transactions between each other, including verifying identity, usage of electronic documents, and a digital payment system that is interconnected and mutually accepted in the region. It is expected to increase the value of digital trade in ASEAN to US$2 trillion by 2030.

SEOM Retreat on 6-7 December 2022 in Jakarta, Republic of Indonesia. 
     The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: The Meeting considered Indonesia’s Priority Economic Deliverables that she will push to achieve in 2023 as the ASEAN Chair under the theme “ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth.” While focusing on 3 strategic areas: economic recovery, accelerating the transition to the digital age, and sustainable growth. In addition, the Meeting followed up on the economic-related work for 2022 and sought guidelines on the determination of important measures that must be implemented in 2023, as well as discussing ways to expand relations with countries outside the region, setting priorities in negotiating the ASEAN FTAs, and the progress of Timor-Leste's application for ASEAN membership, such as Timor-Leste’s participation in ASEAN meetings, development of the work plan, and the capacity building assistance to Timor-Leste.

SEOM 1/54 on 16-17 January 2023 in Semarang, Republic of Indonesia. 
     The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: The Meeting considered Priority Economic Deliverables that Indonesia will push forward as ASEAN Chairman, such as 
     1) Development of the ASEAN Services Facilitation Framework to streamline regulations that will facilitate deeper liberalization of the services sector; 
     2) Establishment of the RCEP Secretariat to oversee the implementation of the RCEP agreement, which is ASEAN’s latest FTA; and 
     3) The full implementation of the e-Form D Certificate of Origin through the ASEAN Single Window system, which will facilitate trade, reduce business transaction costs, promote paperless cross-border trade, and increase the use of e-Form D. 
     In addition, the Meeting discussed priority issues that must be implemented in 2023, such as linking the supply chain, increase MSMEs competitiveness, digital transformation, sustainable development, and expanding relations with countries outside the region. Furthermore, the Meeting followed up on the progress of negotiations to upgrade various free trade Agreements (FTA) under ASEAN and between ASEAN and her negotiating partners, including the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), ASEAN-China, ASEAN-India, ASEAN-Canada, and ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand. The upgrading negotiations will revise the rules that will help to facilitate trade, reduce obstacles to utilising tax privileges, and relax rules to be in line with new trade issues.

SEOM) 2/54 on 22-26 May 2023 at the ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, Republic of Indonesia. 
     The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: The Meeting followed up on the implementation of the ASEAN economic work plans, discussed the use of digital technology to further facilitate business and trade in the region, and followed up on the progress of FTA upgrade negotiations for the agreements to be up to date, as well as the economic cooperation projects. Outcomes from the above discussions were summarised for presentation to the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Meeting in August 2023. The emphasis was on the work that must be completed this year, such as 
        1) To conclude the negotiations on the upgrading of the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA), with a view to signing in the calendar year to support expansion on trade in goods, trade in services, and investment and to be ready for new trade issues; 
        2) Study on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) must be completed so that the Leaders can announce the start of negotiations this year; 
        3) To find a resolution on the establishment of the RCEP supporting unit    as soon as possible; 
        4) To urge member states to speed up their internal processes so that economic agreements that have concluded the negotiations can be, such as the Protocol to Amend the ASEAN Movement of Natural Persons Agreement, the ASEAN Sectoral Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) for Building and Construction Materials, and ASEAN Food Safety Regulatory Framework (AFSRF) Agreement; and 
        5) The Meeting urged the acceleration of the negotiations to upgrade the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA Upgrade) to make significant progress before reporting to the meeting ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Meeting in August 2023.

SEOM) 3/54 between 11-16 July 2023 in Surabaya, Republic of Indonesia. 
     The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: 
        1) The Meeting followed up on the economic work of 2023 before presenting the results to the ASEAN Economic Ministers In August 2023. The Meeting also prepared for meetings with countries outside the region, including Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, and the United Kingdom. and the United States, as well as monitored the progress of other economic integration issues, such as preparation for the signing of the Protocol to amend the ASEAN Agreement on the Movement of Natural Persons, the full implementation of the exchange of the Certificate of Origin in electronic format through the ASEAN Single Window, and developing the ASEAN guidelines for joint registration of legal entities; 
        2) The meeting followed up on the Priority Economic Deliverables under Indonesia's ASEAN Chairmanship, including issues relating to digital, environment, and strengthening the basic infrastructure of ASEAN, such as the results of the study of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement or (DEFA); and 
        3) the Meeting endorsed the development of the ASEAN Strategy for Carbon Neutrality. This will strengthen economic opportunities for innovation. low carbon investment, creation of new jobs in the region. 
      The Meeting also prepared the statement for the ASEAN Economic Ministers on the preparation of the Framework for the ASEAN Industrial Projects Based Initiative to drive ASEAN towards becoming the region with the 4th largest economy in the world by 2050.

The Meeting of the Coordinating Committee on Services (CCS) and Related Meetings (via video conference)

• The 101st CCS Meeting between 25-27 April 2022 and the 4th Special CCS Meeting between 11-12 June 2022, during which outcomes of the issue being negotiated were in line with the expectations, which were
1) Developed the headnote of the schedule of commitments and discussed the last remaining issue in the headnote.
2) The preparation of a legal instrument will continue to be discussed at the next Special CCS meeting.
3) Regarding the amendments to the schedule of commitments in the new common format, the Meeting noted that several member states have already submitted the schedule of commitments using the new common headnote, with only a few countries that were still completing the revision based on opinions given by the ASEAN Secretariat. On this issue, Thailand had already submitted the schedule of commitments which passed the assessment by the ASEAN Secretariat on 31 March 2022.
4) Regarding the Protocol to Implement the Tenth Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services and the work on the specific commitments, the meeting noted the progress on the ratification of the remaining 3 countries (Myanmar, Indonesia, and the Philippines).
5) On the ASEAN Trade in Services Agreement, the Meeting continued to discuss the issue on whether to implement the ratchet mechanism under the ATISA. If ASEAN could not reach a consensus on this issue, it may be raised to the SEOM meeting to provide policy guidance.

• The 102nd CCS Meeting between 26-30 September 2023. The negotiations taken place on various issues during the Meeting were in line with the expectation and within the specified time frame. The outcomes of the negotiations were in accordance with the goals set in the agenda.

Meetings of the ASEAN Working Committee on Financial Services Liberalization: WC-FSL) (via video conference)

• The 75th WC-FSL Meeting on 30 June 2022. The key points of the Meeting can be summarized as follows:
1) On the progress to ratify the Protocol to Implement the 8th Package of Commitments on Financial Services, Indonesia informed the Meeting that she was in the process of consulting with the Senate and that she will expedite the process to ratify the protocol as soon as possible.
2) On the progress of signing the 9th Protocol, the ASEAN Secretariat informed the Meeting that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for ASEAN countries will have a meeting under the ASEAN Political–Security Pillar in early July 2022 in the United Kingdom to find a conclusion on the issue of entering into legal and economic agreements with the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.

Signing the Protocol to Amend the ASEAN Agreement on the Movement of Natural Persons 
     The key points can be summarised as follows: ASEAN Economic Ministers are in the process of signing the “Protocol to Amend the ASEAN Agreement on the Movement of Natural Persons”. This Protocol aims to revise the schedule of specific commitments on the movement of natural persons from the previously whereby member states can choose different formats leading to complications to a new common format that is easy to use. This will help to reduce problems from interpretation and ambiguity in terms of market access.

The 26th ASEAN Investment Area Council (AIA Council) Meeting during the 55th ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Meeting and Related Meetings Between 19-22 August 2023 in Semarang, Republic of Indonesia, the meeting took place with the following key outcomes:       
     The Meeting noted the development of the Database on Investment Measures, in which all 10 ASEAN member states have revised the ASEAN Investment Guidebook and uploaded it on to the investASEAN website. This is in line with the decision of the 19th ASEAN Economic Ministers- ASEAN Investment Area Council Meeting (19th AEM-AIA Council Meeting).  

The ASEAN Coordinating Committee on E-commerce and Digital Economy (ACCED) Meeting Two rounds of meetings were held: 1. The 22nd ACCED meeting between 6-7 March 2023 in Jakarta, Republic of Indonesia; and 2. The 23rd ACCED Meeting between 15-16 June 2023 in Bali, Republic of Indonesia. Key points from the meeting are as follows: 
     1) Noted the progress on the implementation of electronic commerce in the ASEAN member states (New laws and regulations);        
     2) Noted the progress on the implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Electronic Commerce and the Bandar Seri Begawan Roadmap; and 
     3) Noted and discussed the preparation for the development of the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA), which consists of a study on the development of DEFA, the decision on DEFA negotiation rounds, the drafting of Leaders' Statement, and the preparation of a draft ToR for the DEFA Negotiation Committee.

Meetings of the Coordinating Committee on the Implementation of the ATIGA (CCA) and Related Meetings (via video conference)
• The 39th CCA Meeting on 14 July 2022 had key points of discussion as follows:
1) Long-Standing Issues (LSIs) under    the ATIGA.
2) On the transposition of tariff reductions schedules (TRS) from the AHTN 2017 system to the AHTN 2022 system, the following ASEAN members had already completed the transposition of the Tariff Reduction Schedule (TRS) to the AHTN 2022 system and circulated the draft schedule to other members for consideration: Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Lao PDR and Singapore.
3) Regarding the upgrading negotiations of the ATIGA, the 28th ASEAN Economic Ministers Retreat (AEM Retreat) announced the commencement of the upgrading negotiations of the ATIGA, and ASEAN will begin the first round of negotiations once Thailand endorses the draft principles for the negotiations to upgrade the ATIGA.

Negotiation Meeting to Upgrade the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (Upgraded ATIGA)
•  On 7-11 December 2022 in Jakarta, Republic of Indonesia,  the meeting took place with the following key outcomes:  (1) Structure of the proposed elements of the negotiations to upgrade the ATIGA agreement; and (2) discussions with the ASEAN Joint Business Council (JBC).
•  The 3rd Upgraded ATIGA Meeting on 20–28 February 2023 in Bandung, Republic of Indonesia. The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: (1) Structure of the Upgraded ATIGA; (2) Consideration of new elements that may be included in the negotiations to upgrade, such as remanufactured goods, paperless trading, good customs practice, and MSMEs; (3) Consideration of the traditional trade issues; and (4) Discussion with the ASEAN Joint Business Council (JBC).
•  The Negotiations during the 55th AEM Meeting and Related Meetings between 19-22 August 2023 in Semarang, Republic of Indonesia. The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: 
        1) The Meeting noted the progress on the negotiations to upgrade the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA Upgrade), with two important issues that need to be considered: the article on Transposition and the application of Automatic MFN Treatment. Thailand emphasised that ASEAN needed to adhere to the principle of ASEAN Centrality and the determination to make the ATIGA Upgraded Agreement a more superior agreement than those between ASEAN and the dialogue partners; and 
        2) Singapore proposed to hold a Ministerial-level meeting to resolve issues under the ATIGA Upgrade negotiations during the ASEAN Economic Ministers Retreat (AEM Retreat) in March 2024.

Meeting of the Trade Negotiating Committee for the ATIGA Upgrading Negotiation: ATIGA-TNC
•  The 1st ATIGA-TNC Meeting (Senior Official level) between 28 September-2 October 2022 in Krabi Province. The meeting discussed the roadmap for the negotiations on the upgrading of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) to improve the ATIGA, which aims to make ASEAN a single market, achieve free movement of goods, reduce trade barriers in line with the development in the region and internationally, and to be open to new global trends in the future.
•  The 4th ATIGA-TNC Meeting between 15-19 May 2023 in Jakarta, Republic of Indonesia. The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: To discuss the upgrade of the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) to be more modern and consistent with the changing business models, as well as being more responsive regional and global developments.
•  The 5th ATIGA-TNC Meeting between 31 July - 3 August 2023 in Jakarta, Republic of Indonesia. The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: The Meeting discussed and negotiated to improve the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) to be more modern, able to keep pace with changes in the trade pattern, as well as being more responsive to traditional and new trade issues.

Meetings of the Sub-Committee on ATIGA Rules of Origin Meeting (SC-AROO) (via video conference)
• The 38th SC-AROO Meeting between 21-23 March 2022. The meeting discussed the approach to transpose the customs tariffs for the Product Specific Rules (PSRs) and the draft on the transposition of the customs tariffs on the Textile Single List. In addition, the Meeting followed up on the enforcement of the ASEAN-wide Self-Certification (AWSC) and the practical issues related to the Certificate of Origin (Form D) and the Electronic Certificate of Origin (e-Form D).
• The 39th SC-AROO Meeting on 13 and 18 July 2022. The meeting continued to discuss the approach to transpose the customs tariffs for the Product Specific Rules (PSRs) of the Textile Single List and the list of Information Technology Agreement Products (ITA) from AHTN 2017 to AHTN 2022. Nevertheless, the Meeting was not able to reach a conclusion on this issue.
• Intersessional Meeting of the Sub-Committee on ATIGA Rules of Origin Meeting (ISSL SC-AROO) on 27 July 2022. The meeting was able to conclude the transposition of the customs tariffs on the Product Specific Rules, Textile Single List, and the list of Information Technology Agreement Products (ITA) from the HS/AHTN 2017 system to the HS/AHTN 2022 system.

Meetings of the ASEAN Trade Facilitation Consultative Committee (ATF-JCC) (via video conference) 
• The 23rd ATF-JCC Meeting met on 2 June 2022 to monitor the progress and govern the implementation of obligations under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and to promote trade facilitation among members in the ASEAN region. Important issues were also discussed, such as
     1) Consideration of the expansion of the List of Essential Goods and the extension of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Implementation of Non-Tariff Measures for Essential Goods under the Hanoi Plan of Action (MOU).
     2) Consideration on the draft scope of the study for evaluating the performance of the MoU.
     3) Discussion on the progress on the issues of trade barriers and non-tariff measures in the Matrix of Actual Cases on NTMs / Trade Barriers (MAC).
     4) Tracked and measured the achievements on the implementation of ASEAN Seamless Trade Facilitation Indicator and Trade Transaction Costs (ASTFI-TTC).
• The 24th ATF-JCC meeting between 27-28 July 2022 to monitor the progress/supervise the implementation of obligations under the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and to promote facilitation among members in the ASEAN region. Key issues discussed were:
     1) Consideration of the possibility to expand the List of Essential Goods, and to extend the Memorandum of Understanding on the Implementation of Non-Tariff Measures for Essential Goods under the Hanoi Plan of Action (MoU).
     2) Discussion on the progress on the issues of trade barriers and non-tariff measures in the Matrix of Actual Cases on NTMs / Trade Barriers (MAC).
     3) Discussions on the project to develop the tools for assessing the costs-performance of the non-tariff measures (The NTM Cost-Effectiveness Toolkit: NTM Toolkit).
     4) Tracked and measured the achievements on the implementation of ASEAN Seamless Trade Facilitation Indicator and Trade Transaction Costs (ASTFI-TTC).
     5) Supervising ASEAN Member States to comply with the obligations under the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) under the WTO.
• The 25th ATF-JCC meeting on 12-14 January 2023 in the Republic of Indonesia. The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: 
     1) Consideration of the possibility of expanding the List of Essential Goods and extending the validity period of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Implementation of Non-Tariff Measures on Essential Goods under the Hanoi Plan of Action; 
     2) Discussed the progress on issues of barriers and non-tariff trade measures in the Matrix of Actual Cases on NTMs / Trade Barriers (MAC);     
     3) 2023 Annual Priorities on Trade Facilitation; (4) Establishment of Independent NTM / NTB Panels of Rapporteurs; (5) Monitoring the implementation of the ASEAN Seamless Trade Facilitation Indicator and Trade Transaction Cost (ASTFI-TTC); and (6) Implementation of the work plan for ASEAN Agreement on Electronic Commerce.

Other Issues during the 55th ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) Meeting and Related Meetings between 19-22 August 2023 at Semarang, Republic of Indonesia.
•  Implementation under the current ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: 
        1) On the transposition of the Tariff Reduction Schedule (TRS) of Vietnam from AHTN 2017 to AHTN 2022, the Meeting endorsed the TRS schedule in AHTN 2022 of 9 ASEAN member states, except the draft TRS for Vietnam, which the meeting has not yet endorsed in AHTN 2022 format. The Meeting requested Vietnam to consider specifying tax rates for CKD products in the footnote of the TRS table to resolve this problem in the long term, and to adhere to ASEAN’s principle and practice for the transposition of TRS; 
        2) Regarding the full implementation of the electronic certificates of origin by 2023 - 6 ASEAN member states that have yet to fully started using the e-Form D (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Philippines and Singapore) were in the process of expediting their internal process and has informed that the full implementation of the e-Form D will be possible within the time frame set by ASEAN.
•  Development of the ASEAN Tariff Finder System The meeting took place with the following key outcomes: The meeting noted the successful development of the ASEAN Tariff Finder system, which is an online information portal for trade in goods under all ASEAN free trade agreements, including information such the tariff rates, rules of origin, customs procedures, and documents required for importing goods. Indonesia organised an event to launch the system on the side of the 37th AFTA Council Meeting.

•  The 12th Meeting of ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group (ACCWG) on Timor-Leste’s ASEAN Membership Application (Via videoconference) On 26 April 2022, the meeting took place with the following key outcomes: The Meeting discussed the preparations for organising a fact-finding mission (FFM) of all three pillars, particularly the preparation of the economic and socio-cultural pillars to consider Timor-Leste's participation in ASEAN activities so that ASEAN can assess Timor-Leste's overall readiness to become an ASEAN member in all dimensions, with a view to concluding and to present information to the ASEAN leaders in time for the ASEAN Summit.

•  The 13th Meeting of the ASEAN Coordinating Council Working Group on Timor-Leste’s Membership in ASEAN (ACCWG-TL) On 5-6 October 2022 in Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia, the meeting took place with the following key outcomes: 1) The establishment of the fact-finding missions for the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC FFM) and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC FFM) by Timor-Leste demonstrated their political commitment in joining ASEAN; 2) Regarding the comprehensive assessment report, the Meeting agreed for ASEC to prepare the first draft covering all 3 communities. The report should also contain clear criteria and a roadmap.

•  The 15th Meeting of the Working Group under the ASEAN Coordinating Council on Timor-Leste's Application for ASEAN Membership (ACCWG-TL) On 6 March 2023 in Jakarta, Republic of Indonesia, the meeting took place with the following key outcomes: The Meeting discussed the preparation of a draft roadmap for Timor-Leste's full accession to ASEAN. This includes an appendix on the report from the fact-finding mission and the activities to develop Timor-Leste's capabilities. The Meeting intended to present a draft roadmap to the ASEAN leaders for approval at the 42nd ASEAN Summit in May. Additionally, Indonesia has prepared a letter requesting approval from all three pillars to submit the results of the fact-finding mission to Timor-Leste so that they can study the relevant information. The Meeting also discussed the issue of upgrading Timor-Leste's capabilities through activities under the political and security, economic, and socio-cultural pillars.

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