Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) (as of July, 2014)

1. Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) (as of July, 2014)
AsiaPacificTrade Agreement(APTA) (asof July,2014)
 The AsiaPacificTrade Agreement(earlierknownasBangkokAgreement)isaninitiative under
the UnitedNationsEconomicandSocial Commission forAsiaandthe Pacific(ESCAP) fortrade
expansionthroughexchange of tariff concessionsamongdevelopingcountrymembersof the
AsiaPacificRegion.Chinaaccededtothe Agreementin2000 and the currentmembershipof
APTA consistsof Bangladesh,China,India,LaoPDR,Republicof KoreaandSri Lanka.
 The Ministerial Council isthe highestdecisionmakingbodyof APTA.The StandingCommittee is
the negotiating/implementingbodywhichfunctionsunderthe guidance anddirectionof the
Ministerial Council.UN ESCAPfunctionsasthe Secretariatforthe Agreement.
 Till date,three Roundsof Trade Negotiationshave takenplace.Uptothe ThirdRound,Indiahas
offeredtariff preferenceson570 tariff linesatan average marginof preference (MoP) of 23.9%
and an additional 48tariff linestoLDC membersatan average MoP of 39.7% at the 6-digitHS
level.
 The SecondSessionof the Ministerial Council,whichwasheldinGoain 2007, decidedtolaunch
the FourthRound of Negotiationswiththe aimof both,wideninganddeepeningthe tariff
concessionsofferedbyParticipatingStatesontrade ingoodsand alsoon exploringthe options
to widenthe scope of negotiationstootherareas,suchas non-tariff measures,servicesand
investment.
 In accordance withthe mandate of the Ministerial Council,the StandingCommittee initiated
negotiationsonthe followingareas:
o Negotiationsontariff concessionsongoods;
o Negotiationsona FrameworkAgreementonTrade Facilitation;
o Negotiationsona FrameworkAgreementonTrade in Services;
o Negotiationsona FrameworkAgreementonInvestments;and
o Exploringpossibilitiesonexpandingthe membershipof APTA
 Negotiationshave concludedonthe frameworkagreementsontrade facilitation,investments
and services.All the three agreementshave since beensignedandratifiedbythe Participating
States.
 The Third Sessionof the MinisterialCouncil washeldinSeoulon15 December2009. The Indian
delegationwasledbyShri JyotiradityaMadhavraoScindia,the thenMinisterof State for
Commerce andIndustry.

2.  Under the FourthRoundof negotiations,ParticipatingStatesare still negotiatingthe average
marginof preference (MoP) andcoverage of tariff lines.
 The 44th Sessionof the APTA StandingCommitteewasheldon24-25 July,2014 at Bangkok,
Thailand