Australia is one of the world’s super powers with a GDP of US$ 1.4 trillion in 2011.  New Zealand, an island country near Australia, equally enjoys a prosperous economy, with a GDP per capita of about US$ 28,000. 

The ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area was signed in 2009.  It covers trade in goods and services, investment, electronic commerce, dispute settlement, specific provisions on customs procedures, sanitary and phytosanitaty measures, standards and technical regulations, intellectual property rights, and competition.

AANZFTA opens up business opportunities in ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand, allows greater market access for exporters and manufacturers, and promotes economies of scale, and enhances collaboration among economic stakeholders in the region.  It hopes to create a business environment that will offer investors greater assurance that commercial activities will not be unnecessarily interrupted or disrupted.