# Malaysia's Free Trade Agreement Network > A single-view reference of every Malaysian trade agreement — bilateral FTAs, the ASEAN+1 agreements, and the mega-regional CPTPP and RCEP — with partners, status and entry-into-force dates. - Category: international - Language: en - Status: published - Updated: 2026-08-01 - Canonical: https://negaraku.md/en/international/malaysia-free-trade-agreements-network --- Malaysia maintains one of Asia's densest networks of trade agreements. A Malaysian exporter can often, on the same shipment, choose between an ASEAN preference, a bilateral rate, or a mega-regional schedule — and the choice can change the duty paid at the border. This page lays the whole network out in one view. Everything below is taken from MITI's FTA portal and is current as at August 2026. Status and dates change — check MITI before you rely on a single figure. ## Who runs Malaysia's FTAs? All of them sit with one ministry: the **Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI)**. MITI negotiates the agreements, publishes the tariff schedules and rules of origin, and runs the Certificate of Origin / Preferential Certificate of Origin (CO/PCO) system that lets exporters actually claim a preference. If you are working out which agreement gives the best rate into a given market, MITI's portal is the authoritative starting point — not a trade-press summary. ## What bilateral FTAs does Malaysia have? Eight bilateral agreements are in force, plus one signed but not yet operational. The Malaysia-Japan EPA opened the series in 2006; the Malaysia-UAE CEPA — Malaysia's first with a Gulf Cooperation Council state — is the newest in force. | Agreement | Partner | Status | Entry into force | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Malaysia-Japan EPA (MJEPA) | Japan | In force | 13 Jul 2006 | | Malaysia-Pakistan CEPA (MPCEPA) | Pakistan | In force | 1 Jan 2008 | | Malaysia-New Zealand FTA (MNZFTA) | New Zealand | In force | 1 Aug 2010 | | Malaysia-India CECA (MICECA) | India | In force | 1 Jul 2011 | | Malaysia-Chile FTA (MCFTA) | Chile | In force | 25 Feb 2012 | | Malaysia-Australia FTA (MAFTA) | Australia | In force | 1 Jan 2013 | | Malaysia-Turkey FTA (MTFTA) | Turkey | In force | 1 Aug 2015 | | Malaysia-UAE CEPA | United Arab Emirates | In force | 1 Oct 2025 | | Malaysia-EFTA EPA (MEEPA) | Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland | **Signed, not in force** | Signed 23 Jun 2025 | MEEPA is the one to watch — and the one not to over-claim. MITI is explicit that it is signed but not yet in force, and that Malaysian exporters and importers cannot use its preferences until ratification completes on both sides. ## What regional agreements is Malaysia part of? Malaysia's regional access comes in two layers: the ASEAN-wide "ASEAN+1" agreements, and the two large plurilaterals that overlay them. | Agreement | Coverage | Status | Entry into force | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA/ATIGA) | ASEAN | In force | 1993 | | ASEAN-China FTA (ACFTA) | ASEAN + China | In force | 1 Jul 2003 | | ASEAN-Korea FTA (AKFTA) | ASEAN + Korea | In force | 1 Jul 2006 | | ASEAN-Japan CEP (AJCEP) | ASEAN + Japan | In force | 1 Feb 2009 | | ASEAN-Australia-NZ FTA (AANZFTA) | ASEAN + Australia + NZ | In force | 1 Jan 2010 | | ASEAN-India FTA (AIFTA) | ASEAN + India | In force | 1 Jan 2010 | | ASEAN-Hong Kong FTA (AHKFTA) | ASEAN + Hong Kong | In force | 13 Oct 2019 | | RCEP | ASEAN + 5 partners | In force | 18 Mar 2022 (for Malaysia) | | CPTPP | 12 Pacific-rim parties | In force | 29 Nov 2022 (for Malaysia) | Two preferential (partial-scope) schemes sit alongside these: the **TPS-OIC** among Organisation of Islamic Cooperation members and the **D-8 Preferential Tariff Agreement**, both recorded by MITI as in force from 1 October 2023. ## How do CPTPP and RCEP differ? Both are mega-regionals, but they solve different problems for a Malaysian business: - **RCEP** brings together the 10 ASEAN members plus Australia, China, Japan, Korea and New Zealand — 15 economies. Its value is a **single rulebook and one rules-of-origin regime** stitched over agreements that already existed, so components sourced across the bloc can accumulate toward origin. - **CPTPP** is a **deeper, higher-standard** agreement covering labour, environment, state-owned enterprises and government procurement, reaching markets Malaysia had no bilateral deal with — Canada, Mexico and Peru. It entered into force for Malaysia on 29 November 2022 and grew to **12 parties** when the United Kingdom acceded on 15 December 2024, the first economy to join after the original signatories. For a shipment to, say, Japan, a Malaysian exporter may therefore have several routes — MJEPA, AJCEP, RCEP or CPTPP — and the best one depends on the product's tariff line and which rule of origin it can satisfy. ## What's next If you export, do not stop at "Malaysia has an FTA with that country." Check the specific tariff line under each applicable agreement, confirm the rule of origin your product can meet, and apply for the right CO/PCO through MITI. Watch MEEPA: once it enters into force it is expected to open duty-free access to the large majority of Malaysia's exports into the four EFTA states, but until MITI records an entry-into-force date, its preferences cannot be claimed. ## Sources - Free Trade Agreements (FTA) — https://fta.miti.gov.my/index.php/pages/view/4 (Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI)) - Malaysia-EFTA Economic Partnership Agreement (MEEPA) — https://fta.miti.gov.my/index.php/pages/view/meepa (Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI)) - Notice: Entry into Force of the Malaysia - United Arab Emirates CEPA — https://www.miti.gov.my/miti/resources/Preferential%20Certificate%20of%20Origin/Announcement/Notice_MY_UAE_CEPA_2025.pdf (Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI)) - The UK and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) — https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/the-uk-and-the-comprehensive-and-progressive-agreement-for-trans-pacific-partnershipcptpp (UK Department for Business and Trade) - Free Trade Agreement (FTA) brochure — https://www.matrade.gov.my/documents/ebook/brochure-fta-eng-new/ (MATRADE) --- Source of truth: https://github.com/negaraku-md/NegaraKu.md License: CC BY-SA 4.0