Importing From India to ASEAN Countries

In July 2023 an importer in Southeast Asia, buying health and personal care products, asked Indian Reddit why nobody in India would answer. "Literally none of the companies or people I've contacted have responded," they wrote (r/india, July 2023 (opens in a new tab)). The reply that helped came from someone who knew the trade - "Phone/WhatsApp is something everyone checks" (same thread (opens in a new tab)). An Indian manufacturer in the thread added that he gets hundreds of such emails a month.

We like that thread because it's the ASEAN buyer's situation in a nutshell. You're close to India, you have a trade agreement with it, and the hard part is still the practical stuff - getting a reply, getting the right certificate, getting the goods through a hub. This page covers what the ASEAN-India agreement gives you today, what we've verified and what we haven't. The short version - it's in force, it's under review, and you shouldn't price on a supplier's "AITIGA rate" until you've seen the certificate.

Last researched 28 September 2026 · Next review 24 November 2026 · Written by SourcingFrom

The decision in brief is in the playbook: Exporting and trade → /india/#trade. This is the bloc page. Each member's page carries its own status and entry points.

1. In Force, and Being Rewritten

The ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) covers all ten ASEAN members. India's Department of Commerce lists the ASEAN agreements, dated 26 October 2010, with a tariff schedule for each member and a separate Indian schedule for the Philippines (commerce.gov.in, ASEAN page (opens in a new tab)).

A review to upgrade it is running. The 13th Joint Committee met in New Delhi from 6 to 10 July 2026 and told negotiators to speed up work on customs, trade facilitation, market access and rules of origin, with conclusion targeted for 2026 (ANI, 8 July 2026 (opens in a new tab), Reported). It isn't concluded. Until it is, the old rules apply.

2. The Origin Rule, and the Proof We Haven't Seen

Goods qualify if they're wholly obtained, or if they change tariff subheading and carry at least 35% regional value content on FOB value, with the last manufacturing step in the exporting country (MITI Malaysia, ASEAN-India (opens in a new tab), read 25 September 2026). Regional means India plus any ASEAN member, so Indonesian or Thai inputs in an Indian product still count. Product-specific rules can differ for some lines.

The proof is where we stop. Secondary sources describe a certificate called "Form AI", but we haven't read the form in an official text, because the rules-of-origin chapter wasn't reachable on asean.org or India's commerce site when we tried. So ask your customs broker which form applies on the day. Origin is also where the review is focused, and ASEAN members, Indonesia among them, have objected to slow verification under India's CAROTAR rules on the Indian import side (ORF, February 2024 (opens in a new tab)). Expect the proof rules to change when the review lands.

3. When a Bilateral Deal Beats AITIGA

Singapore and Malaysia each have their own agreement with India on top of AITIGA, and for those buyers the bilateral one is where to start.

Singapore's CECA allows at most 60% non-originating content plus a change of heading, with a government-designated certificate (CECA Chapter 3 (opens in a new tab)). Singapore charges GST on all imports and duty only on dutiable goods (Singapore Customs (opens in a new tab)), so for most goods the agreement matters less than the paperwork. Malaysia's CECA was signed on 18 February 2011 and in force from 1 July 2011, with a change of subheading plus 35% qualifying value content (MITI, Malaysia-India (opens in a new tab)). Laos is also in APTA, and Myanmar has the agreement on paper while trade is restricted.

4. The Hubs Matter More Than the Tariff

For a lot of our readers, ASEAN's biggest role in Indian trade isn't as a destination. Singapore and Port Klang are where cargo from India to Australia and New Zealand changes ship. An Indian forwarder in August 2026 said congestion at Singapore and Colombo was putting pressure on feeder connections (Freightgrape, LinkedIn, August 2026 (opens in a new tab)). If you import into Singapore or Malaysia yourself, that same congestion sits on your doorstep, so ask "direct or transhipped, and where?" when you book.

5. Back to the Unanswered Emails

The buyer in 2023 wasn't failing because of tariffs. They were emailing a market that runs on the phone. Once you get replies, the agreement is the next thing to get right - check whether a bilateral deal beats AITIGA for your country, ask the supplier which certificate it has issued before, and have your broker confirm the form. Then place the order.

Open your country's page - Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand or Viet Nam.

Next Step

Every Indian agreement is on India's trade agreements.