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ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area Agreement (AANZFTA)

Business Tariff Free Trade Agreement - FTA

The ASEAN Australia–New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) is an agreement between ASEAN member states (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam and the Philippines), New Zealand and Australia.

AANZFTA came into force in 2010 for Australia, New Zealand, Brunei, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, and subsequently entered into force for Laos and Cambodia in 2011, and Indonesia in 2012.

As of 2020, AANZFTA has eliminated tariffs on 99 percent of New Zealand’s exports to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Viet Nam. This includes the elimination of tariffs on New Zealand dairy, beef, forestry, apples and kiwifruit exports.

AANZFTA Upgrade

On 21 August 2023, New Zealand signed the Upgrade to the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA). The upgrade to the Customs led chapters underwent substantial change to address issues businesses have told us they encounter when trading with the ASEAN region.

This includes modern approaches to managing supply chains like direct consignment and third-party invoicing, and introducing commitments to address and reduce non-tariff barriers that add red tape to businesses. The upgrade promotes trade facilitation through outcomes such as expedited customs procedures – including measures like clearing perishable goods within six hours of their arrival and new options for providing the proof of origin for goods. 

Aside from certificates of origin, approved exporters will also now be able to self-declare the origin of their goods to claim tariff preference under the upgraded agreement. This means greater flexibility for exporters to choose the option that suits them. 

The upgraded Rules of Origin Chapter aims to broaden the scope of goods that achieve originating status and therefore benefit from AANZFTA’s trade rules. The upgrade introduces a full cumulation provision that adds the value of materials and production costs incurred in all Parties, thus increasing the number of products that can qualify for tariff preference under AANZFTA.

AANZFTA Members are now focusing on implementing the upgrade, with the aim of entry-into-force in the first half of 2025.

Importing into New Zealand

An importer may make a claim for AANZFTA preferential tariff treatment through their import entry in Trade Single Window. If requested by Customs, an importer claiming preference must be prepared to provide sufficient evidence to substantiate the claim. Prior to making a preferential tariff claim, it would be beneficial for the importer to assess first if their product qualifies under the AANZFTA’s rules of origin. The AANZFTA rules of origin can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade website

Exporting to AANZFTA parties

To claim preference under AANZFTA, traders must obtain a certificate of origin from an authorised issuing body. New Zealand’s authorised issuing bodies are the Chambers of Commerce, TradeWindow Origin and WiseTech Global.

Fact sheets

External links

  • Useful information on the AANZFTA agreement, including text, a tariff finder tool and guides to doing business with ASEAN, can be found on the ASEAN website
  • Information is also available on the MFAT website.

New Zealand has bilateral trade Agreements with Malaysia, Australia, Singapore and Thailand, and ASEAN members are also in other multilateral free trade agreements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Traders should consider which agreement provides the most benefit for their imported/exported products.  

Rules of Origin Provisions

Product Specific Rules (First Protocol)

Product Specific Rules (Second Protocol)