Commencement of Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement
The Malaysia-Australia Free Trade Agreement (MAFTA) entered into force on 1 January 2013.
Legislation to amend relevant provisions of the Australian customs law was enacted in December 2012.
The MAFTA builds on the commitments made by both countries in the regional ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, which started for Australia and Malaysia in 2010.
The MAFTA is comprehensive, with almost all imports into either country being duty-free immediately. These duty-free tariff commitments only apply, however, to those goods exported or imported from Malaysia or Australia that meet the MAFTA’s ‘rules of origin’.
Importers of goods from Malaysia who are positively affected by the MAFTA need to be familiar with the relevant rules of origin and ensure that ‘Certificates of Origin’ are obtained from the relevant issuing authority.
For more information, including advice on how your business may benefit from the MAFTA, please contact:
Tel: +61 2 6263 7059
Tel: +61 3 9671 7518