ASEAN economic ministers convening in Bangkok for their 41 st meeting have agreed that the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) would be implemented no later than the ASEAN leader summit in Thailand in October, said a senior Thai trade official.

ASEAN also agreed on measures to facilitate trade within the region, including setting up an ASEAN Trade Repository (ATR), Commerce Minister Pornthiva Nakasai said on Aug. 14.

The ATR will contain trade and customs laws and procedures of all members and be made accessible to the public through the Internet.

Under ATIGA, ASEAN members will impose tariff of zero percent on goods, take concise, transparent and just measures on quarantine regulations, facilitate trade and simplify customs regulations among the bloc./.