OPENING REMARK BY AEM’s CHAIR 30TH AEM-CER CONSULTATION
25 SEPTEMBER 2025 (THURSDAY)
1040 – 1210
BALLROOM, LEVEL 3
MITEC
OPENING REMARKS BY AEM’s CHAIR
Excellency Don Farrell, Minister for Trade and Tourism & Special Minister of State, Australia,
Excellency Todd McClay, Minister for Trade and Investment, Minister of Agriculture, and Minister of Forestry, New Zealand,
ASEAN Economic Ministers
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is both an honour and a pleasure to welcome you to the 30th AEM–CER Consultation. On behalf of ASEAN, I would like to extend our warm greetings to our esteemed partners from Australia and New Zealand. We deeply value the enduring friendship and cooperation that we have built over decades, rooted in mutual respect and a shared vision for a prosperous region.
This year holds special significance as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN’s dialogue relations with New Zealand, and the 51st anniversary with Australia. These milestones serve as a testament to the depth of our partnership and the trust cultivated over years of constructive engagement.
Australia and New Zealand are among ASEAN’s most important economic partners. In 2024, total two-way trade between ASEAN, and Australia and New Zealand reached USD 108.9 billion, almost double the levels recorded a decade ago. ASEAN’s exports to Australia and New Zealand stood at USD 61.0 billion, while imports were valued at USD 48.0 billion, reflecting a balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship.
In terms of investment, inflows from Australia and New Zealand into ASEAN amounted to USD 2.9 billion, marking a strong recovery after the disruptions of 2020 and 2021. Equally important, more than 5.5 million visitors from Australia and New Zealand travelled to ASEAN in 2024, further underscoring the depth of our people-to-people links. These numbers reaffirm the significance of Australia and New Zealand as ASEAN’s trusted economic partners, and highlight the vast potential for expanding this partnership even further.
Today’s agenda will allow us to listen to the Australia-ASEAN Chamber of Commerce (AustCham ASEAN) and the ASEAN New Zealand Business Council (ANZBC) insights and recommendations, reflect on the implementation of the Second Protocol to Amend the AANZFTA, review ongoing cooperation under the Implementation Support Programme, and consider the Communications Package for 2025.
We will also discuss the outcomes of the ASEAN–CER Integration Partnership Forum on digital economy integration, exchange views on regional and global economic developments, and explore the future direction of ASEAN–CER cooperation, particularly in relation to our shared interest in WTO reform.
Colleagues, at a time of shifting global dynamics, this partnership demonstrates ASEAN’s commitment to promoting openness, resilience, and inclusivity within our regional architecture. I am confident that our deliberations today will further strengthen the ASEAN–CER partnership, advancing not only trade and investment, but also innovation, sustainability, and people-centred growth.
With this spirit of cooperation in mind, I look forward to our productive discussions.
It is now my honour to first invite H.E. Don Farrell to deliver his opening remarks, followed by H.E. Todd McClay.
Thank you. May I invite the media to leave the room for us to carry on with our next agenda.
--BERNAMA