Special Consultation Session Between RCEP Business Advisory Council (RBAC) and RCEP Joint Committee at the 10th RCEP Joint Committee (RJC) Meeting

The RCEP Business Advisory Council (RBAC) under the East Asia Business Council (EABC) met with members of the RCEP Joint Committee comprising the Senior Economic Officials of RCEP countries on August 23, 2025 at Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at 9.00am. The session was attended by Tan Sri Azman Hashim (RBAC Chair), Mr. Jack Yao Xin, Secretariat General of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Commercial Sub Council (representing EABC and RBAC Co-Chair, Mr. Nie Wenhui), Mr. Yasufumi Otaki, Senior Director of JETRO Jakarta, Tan Sri Dato' Soh Thian Lai (RBAC Malaysia) physically while Datuk Jason Tai Hee (RBAC Malaysia), Ms. Louise McGrath (RBAC Australia), and Ms. Liz Bell (RBAC New Zealand) attended virtually.

The meeting was a critical platform for private-sector input and was led by RJC Chair Mrs. Dina Kurniasari, Director of WTO Negotiations, Ministry of Trade of Indonesia, and co-chairs - Mr. Izuru Kobayashi, Deputy Director-General, Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, and Mr. Tamura Hideyasu, Deputy Director General for Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan.

The RBAC's presentation to the RJC was based on two key pillars - the council's ongoing initiatives and the findings of the 2025 EABC-JETRO Business Outlook Survey. The main highlights and recommendations are as follows:

Empowering businesses through RCEP

The RBAC has served as a dedicated platform for the private sector, playing a key role in helping businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) understand and take advantage of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement. Since 2022, RBAC has organised a wide range of capacity-building initiatives, including webinars and conferences, to guide companies in navigating the complexities of the agreement. These programmes have attracted more than 1,500 participants, reflecting strong industry interest and the value of RBAC's efforts in promoting practical use of RCEP.

Actionable recommendations for improved utilisation

A survey of over 500 companies revealed that many are aware of RCEP but do not know how to use it. The RBAC's key recommendations are to:

• Increase capacity building for SMEs to help them get started.
• Promote digital tools, like expanding the ASEAN Tariff Finder, to make RCEP information more accessible.
• Accelerate the digitalisation of trade procedures by prioritising electronic Certificates of Origin (e-COs) to reduce costs and errors.

RCEP Senior Officials Response

RCEP Senior Officials responded positively to the presentations, highlighting the value of the business community's input:

• Japan thanked the RBAC for its support, noting that the data gathered would be instrumental in guiding future government decisions and requested to expand the survey to include questions relating to ESG.
• Cambodia expressed appreciation for the feedback and confirmed its commitment to providing the requested data on RCEP certificates of origin.
• Australia congratulated the EABC on its comprehensive survey, praising the usefulness of its findings. The country also voiced strong support for the RBAC's digital certification and tariff finder initiatives.
• New Zealand found the RBAC's presentation highly useful and supported the recommendation to expand the ASEAN Tariff Finder beyond ASEAN for RCEP participating countries, as it is presently available only to firms domiciled within the organisation.

The consultation adjourned at 9.40am.

Prepared by: Jess Chong, EABC Focal Point
Date: January 16, 2025