The ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) is a trade bloc among the

Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The

ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) was established on 1967 by

Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand. ASEAN is a place for

countries to come together to build a better life for everyone. Peace,

Prosperity, and People are the 3 important doors for the ASEAN to be

established. Peace is for the countries to work together for a safer region,

Prosperity is to help one another for a better quality of life and stronger

economic growth and People are those who are living in the ASEAN countries

that would make the economic development. AFTA (ASEAN Free Trade Area)

in January 1992 ASEAN member Singapore signed an agreement declaration

that mandates the creation of AFTA within 15 years. In the agreement it

involves

was In January 1992, ASEAN Member States signed the Singapore

Declaration, an agreement that mandates the creation of AFTA within 15

years. This involved a comprehensive program of tariff reduction in the

region, which was to be carried out in phases through the year 2008. This

deadline was subsequently moved forward and AFTA became fully operational

on 01 January 2003.

Over the course of several years, the initial program of tariff reductions was

broadened and accelerated and other "AFTA Plus" activities were initiated.

This includes efforts to eliminate non-tariff barriers, harmonization of customs

nomenclature, valuation, and procedures and development of common

product certification standards.

When the Singapore Declaration was signed, ASEAN was only composed of

six members, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippine, Singapore and Thailand.

Viet Nam joined in 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar in 1997 and Cambodia in

1999. These four countries, collectively known as CLMV, were required to

adhere to the AFTA Agreement but were given longer time frames in meeting

all liberalization commitments.

http://archives.kdischool.ac.kr/bitstream/11125/1261/1/Thesis-Le

%20Thi%20Mai%20Anh.pdf

http://www.asean.org/communities/asean-economic-

community/category/asean-free-trade-area-afta-council

http://www.asean.org/communities/asean-economic-

community/item/asean-free-trade-area-afta-an-update

http://www.seacouncil.org/seacon/images/stories/publications/what_is_

afta.pdf

http://www.aseanlawassociation.org/9GAdocs/w3_Thailand.pdf

http://www.ehow.com/about_6804505_asean-trade-area_.html

http://www.dti.gov.ph/uploads/DownloadableForms/(BITR)AFTA-

Overview_28Oct10.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASEAN_Free_Trade_Area

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Southeast_Asian_Nations