On the morning of November 24, the 16th negotiation round of the ASEAN-Canada Free Trade Agreement (ACAFTA) Committee and related technical meetings opened in Manila, Philippines. The sessions are scheduled to run until 28 November 2025, during which heads of delegations and technical teams from the ten ASEAN countries and Canada will discuss unresolved issues in the agreement, covering key areas such as trade in goods, trade in services, investment, rules of origin, legal and institutional frameworks, and intellectual property.

In the context of ASEAN’s cooperation with non-regional partners, Canada has long been recognized as a traditional and significant partner. At the 5th ASEAN-Canada Economic Ministers’ Consultation held in August 2016, the parties agreed to conduct a feasibility study on establishing a free trade agreement between ASEAN and Canada. This study, completed in 2018, concluded that an FTA would promote exports from ASEAN to Canada and vice versa.

Building on the feasibility study, between 2019 and 2021, ASEAN and Canada continued discussions and finalized a Reference Document on the potential establishment of an FTA. The document was endorsed by the economic ministers at the 10th ASEAN-Canada Economic Ministers’ Meeting in November 2021, laying the groundwork for the official launch of ACAFTA negotiations.

The agreement is expected to cover traditional negotiation areas such as trade in goods, trade in services, investment, rules of origin, customs procedures, sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS), standards, technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures (STRACAP), and may extend to non-traditional areas depending on the decisions of the negotiating parties.

To date, ACAFTA negotiations have held 15 official rounds and reached agreement on several key chapters and issues. Following guidance from the ministers at the 14th ASEAN-Canada Economic Ministers’ Consultation at the end of September 2025, both sides are now aiming to conclude the agreement in 2026.