South-East Asia
From Chapter 6: South-East Asia
South-East Asia looks like the easy neighbour, with a trade agreement signed more than a decade ago and a fast-growing consumer base. In practice the bloc is a market, a competitor and a transit route at once. Tariff lines that were meant to open stayed shut, certification takes months rather than days, and goods from elsewhere reach India through the same agreement your own exporters struggle to use. Singapore has also become a destination in its own right since the Gulf disruption. Read the region as a relationship with five faces, not a single sales territory. This hub sets out the agreement status and entry conditions for Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.
Key facts
- Singapore headline
- 2026's top transshipment partner
- Singapore agreement
- CECA 2005
- Vietnam agreement
- AITIGA (under review)
- Indonesia access
- by one count, only ~44% of tariff lines effectively open under AITIGA
- Indonesia wall
- BPJPH mandatory halal
- Malaysia agreement
- AITIGA + bilateral CECA
- Malaysia wall
- JAKIM certification
As of October 2026
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