The Asean Advantage

In August 2016, looking ahead to this 40th year of partnership – and with a view to enhancing the relationship through trade ties – Canada and ASEAN announced a joint study on the feasibility of a free trade agreement. [...] The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, the Canada-ASEAN Business Council, the Business Council of Canada, and the University of British Columbia have worked together on this report in anticipation of the government-led feasibility study. [...] The model shows benefits for Canadian GDP, employment, and wages over the 10 years following the implementation of the agreement. [...] The remnants of the military junta ceded power in 2015 after the first national democratic election in decades led to a resounding victory for the National League for Democracy. [...] The main purpose of the survey was to gain an insight into the opportunities, challenges and general operating conditions that businesses face in the region.