Phnom Penh: The Business Roundtable on 'Reaping Benefits from ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) Upgrade' was organised on April 28 in Phnom Penh to provide an opportunity for businesses to share experiences around export and import, accessing to the Australian and New Zealand markets.
According to Agence Kampuchea Presse, H.E. Ms. Tekreth Kamrang, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce, presided over the event's opening ceremony together with Mrs. Kirsty Harris, Counsellor and Head of Development Cooperation of the Australian Embassy in Cambodia. The event saw participation from 173 representatives of relevant ministries, government agencies, and the private sector.
In her opening remarks, Ms. Kamrang expressed gratitude to the Governments of Australia and New Zealand for their support and cooperation with the Royal Government of Cambodia. The roundtable was organised under the Regional Trade for Development (RT4D), an initiative aimed at helping ASEAN Member States utilise and benefit from the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
She highlighted that the roundtable would significantly contribute to providing additional knowledge to all participants, especially the private sector and SMEs. The discussions focused on understanding the benefits of the agreement, particularly on technical aspects such as trade in goods, rules of origin, customs procedures and trade facilitation, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical regulations and compliance procedures, trade in services, e-commerce, and investment.
Moreover, the forum offered businesses an opportunity to share experiences related to export and import, and accessing the Australian and New Zealand markets. It focused on best practices, market tips, strategies, and challenges faced while implementing the agreement.