EFTA and Malaysia hold fifth round of negotiations on an Economic Partnership Agreement

Ambassador Didier Chambovey from the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs acted as the EFTA spokesperson, while Senior Director Khoo Boo Seng from the Ministry of International Trade and Industry headed the Malaysian delegation.

 

In the fifth round expert groups discussed text proposals in the following areas: trade in goods including market access, investment, rules of origin, trade facilitation, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, trade remedies, and trade and sustainable development. They also exchanged views on the government procurement regime in the respective EFTA States and Malaysia. Further expert meetings are planned for services, competition, legal and horizontal issues, intellectual property rights and rules of origin. 

Since the first round of negotiations in April 2014, EFTA and Malaysia have held five rounds of negotiations on an economic partnership agreement. Three rounds were held in 2014 and a fourth round was held in May 2015 in Kuala Lumpur. A sixth round is planned for spring 2016 in Malaysia.

 

Merchandise trade between the EFTA States and Malaysia amounted to USD 2.54 billion in 2014, with exports from EFTA of USD 1.53 billion and imports from Malaysia of USD 1.01 billion.