The Regional Trade for Development (RT4D) initiative is funded by the Governments of Australia and New Zealand. It assists ASEAN Member States (AMS) in meeting their commitments and realising the advantages offered by the Agreement establishing the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area, or AANZFTA, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP.

Through the AANZFTA Implementation Support Program (AISP) and the RCEP Implementation Support Program (RISP), RT4D provides tailored support to enhance the capabilities of ASEAN Member States by strengthening skills, building networks, facilitating policy options and ensuring that trade benefits everyone, including Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), women and people with disability.

The Governments of Australia and New Zealand have committed up to AUD 53.3 million to fund RT4D from 2020–21 to 2027–28.

Project Summary

The AANZFTA Implementation Support Program (AISP), implemented through the Regional Trade for Development (RT4D) Facility, supports ASEAN Member States to realise the benefits of AANZFTA through capacity-building support and access to technical expertise.

The project ‘Promoting AANZFTA through Communications and Business Engagement’ is approved under the AISP. The project aims to strengthen understanding and utilisation of AANZFTA among government and business stakeholders by communicating the value, relevance and practical benefits of the AANZFTA Upgrade and AISP. It will:

• conduct stakeholder consultations with government representatives, business associations, chambers of commerce, MSMEs, women-led enterprises, disability-inclusive enterprises and other relevant organisations;
• assess how businesses, including MSMEs, understand, access and use relevant AANZFTA provisions, including Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation, E-commerce and MSME-related provisions;
• deliver two business roundtable discussions to strengthen dialogue between government bodies and private-sector stakeholders, and capture business-relevant insights, barriers and recommendations;
• develop three business explainers on priority topics identified through stakeholder consultations and roundtable discussions;
• adapt existing AANZFTA information materials produced through previous projects, including the MSME Handbook, to strengthen their practical value and accessibility for business audiences;
• develop four case studies demonstrating the success and practical benefits of AISP-supported activities;
• produce one video highlighting the key benefits and achievements of the AANZFTA Upgrade after one year of implementation; and