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Published on September 19, 2007

At a recent meeting to finalise details of the Asean-Australia and New Zealand Free-Trade Agreement (ANNZFTA), Australia and New Zealand sought to persuade all Asean countries to include the "Trips-plus" concept in the pact. In exchange, the two countries would allow imports of more Asean goods.

The Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (Trips) is a normal standard for protecting IP rights to which WTO members have committed.

However, Trips-plus is more rigorous and requires extended protection of patents and trademarks, more restrictions on registration of generic drugs and other safeguards demanded by developed nations.

A Commerce Ministry source said that most Asean members did not agree with the proposal, because Trips-plus would increase difficulties for developing countries.

However, some countries, including Singapore and Malaysia, do agree with the proposal, because they have already provided protection beyond what is called for in the WTO agreement after finalising free-trade negotiations with the United States.

The source said a meeting of Asean countries' senior economic officials from Sunday to Friday of next week would consider whether to accept the proposal.

Trade Negotiations Department director-general Chutima Bunyapraphasara said a conclusion of the ANNZFTA would be postponed from this year to the middle of next year, due to disagreement on many issues. These include the free flow of investment and services, tariff reductions and cooperation on sanitary standards.

Petchanet Pratruangkrai

 The Nation