 |
| Q. Which countries
are the members of ASEAN? |
|
| A. |
Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia,
Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam are the members of
ASEAN. |
| |
 |
| Q.What is the
ASEAN-Japan Centre doing? |
|
| A. |
ASEAN-Japan Centre is an international
organization promoting trade, investment and tourism
relations between ASEAN and Japan.Please look at
the A
Guide to the ASEAN-Japan Centre |
| |
|
| Q.What is the
relation between the ASEAN-Japan Centre and the
ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia? |
|
| A. |
ASEAN-Japan Centre is an international
organization established by the Governments of
Japan and ASEAN countries to promote economic relations
between Japan and ASEAN. It is an independent organization
from the ASEAN Secretariat, but maintains close
contact through activities in the field of trade,
investment and tourism. |
| |
|
| Q.Where is
the ASEAN-Japan Centre located? |
|
| A. |
The address and the contact
of ASEAN-Japan Centre are as follows:*Map |
| |
(ASEAN Promotion
Centre on Trade, Investment and Tourism)
Shin Onarimon Bldg., 6-17-19 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0004 |
| Main Number |
Tel.03-5402-8001 |
|
|
| General Affairs Div. |
Tel. 03-5402-8002
Fax.03-5402-8003 |
Trade Div. |
Tel. 03-5402-8004
Fax.03-5402-8005 |
| Investment Div. |
Tel. 03-5402-8006
Fax.03-5402-8007 |
Tourism Div. |
Tel. 03-5402-8008
Fax.03-5402-8009 |
| Office hours:9:30a.m.-5:30p.m.
Monday-Friday |
|
| |
|
| Q.Do I need
to get permission to link website of the ASEAN-Japan
Centre? |
|
| A. |
ASEAN-Japan Centre’s website
is free to link, but please report to the Centre
when it is linked. |
| |
|
| Q.I would like
to import products from ASEAN. How could I acquire
information on ASEAN products and exporters? |
|
| A. |
Sources of information on ASEAN
products and ASEAN exporters are available at followings: |
| |
|
|
| 1 |
Directories
(company list) |
| |
Directories
for ASEAN companies are available at General
Information Corner of ASEAN-Japan Centre. |
| |
|
| 2 |
Data base
of the Centre |
| |
Online information
on products and potential ASEAN exporters
on Centre’s web site. |
| |
|
| 3 |
Commercial
Section of the ASEAN Embassies and ASEAN
Trade Promotion Organizations (TPOs) in
Japan |
| |
|
| 4 |
Information
on Internet provided by TPOs. |
| |
The web sites
of TPOs and the Centre are inter-linked. |
| |
|
| 5 |
Trade fairs
and Exhibitions in ASEAN countries/Japan. |
| |
Information
on trade fairs are available at JETRO http://www.jetro.go.jp/ ) |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Exhibitors’ lists provided
by the Centre
Lists of exhibitors that participated in our trade
promotion activities are available. |
| |
|
| Q.I would like
to know the types of tariffs on products imported
from ASEAN countries. |
|
| A. |
Preferential tariff rates are
imposed on certain products imported from Indonesia,
Thailand, Philippines Vietnam and Malaysia, which
are normally lower or tax-free than the general
rates. Special Reduced Tax Rates are also enjoyed
on certain products imported from Cambodia, Laos
and Myanmar. General Tariff Rates (WTO rates) are
imposed on items imported from Brunei and Singapore. |
| |
|
| Q.I would like
to know about the products classification to find
the tariff rates. |
|
| A. |
The tariff rates imposed on
imported products are derived in accordance with
the Customs’ classification number subdivided
on the basis of “ the International Convention
on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding
System (Harmonized System)”. The classification
is defined on the basis of quality of material,
ingredient, form and function etc. For example,
general classification names such as a desktop
style computer and a personal computer is not found
on the Customs Tariff Schedules. The following
Customs Counselor is available to answer your questions/inquiries
relating to customs tariff system, procedures and
formalities in Japan:
Tokyo Customs Website (http://www.tokyo-customs.go.jp/) |
| |
|
| Q.I would like
to know the procedures to import products for personal
consumption. |
|
| A. |
In case of importing products
within the limit for personal consumption, some
regulations might be exempted. For example, medicine
and health food based on Pharmaceutical Affairs
Law, and food on Food Sanitation Law. However,
please note that contrabands of import (product
which infringes on intellectual property rights,
handgun and drug, etc.) by the Customs Tariff Law,
Poisonous and Deleterious Substance Control Law,
the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of World Fauna and Flora (CITES), and Plant
Quarantine Law, are strictly applied to both for
business and personal consumption purposes. |
| |
|
| Q. I would
like to obtain information on importers of ASEAN
products in Japan. |
|
| A. |
It is quite difficult to search
for traders involved in import and sales of ASEAN
products unless products are widely known by Japanese
consumers or importers’ names are clearly
specified. You are advised to refer to ASEAN’s
TPOs or Commercial Section of ASEAN Embassies in
Japan for further information on possible importers. |
| |
|
| Q.What kinds
of Investment are you dealing with? |
|
| A. |
We are promoting direct investment,
which includes setting up factories and technical
transfer. We are not dealing with real estate investment
or equity investment. |
| |
|
| Q.What is AFTA?
What is CEPT? |
|
| A. |
AFTA means ASEAN Free Trade Area.
The aim of AFTA is to make attractive market by
uniting ASEAN market with 0-5% tariffs. Common
Effective Preferential Tariff or CEPT is the scheme
to materialize AFTA. When CEPT scheme started,
ASEAN countries targeted the completion of AFTA
within 15 years from January 1, 1993. However,
they decided to accelerate the program and, as
of today, the original 6 ASEAN countries (Brunei,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and
Thailand) are to complete the reduction by 2002
with some flexibility. The elimination of NTB (Non
Tariff Barrier) is essential to achieve AFTA, too. |
| |
|
| Q.How many
Japanese companies are in ASEAN countries? |
|
| A. |
In fact, it is quite difficult
to count Japanese companies operating in ASEAN
accurately. The reason is, in some countries, investment-promoting
agencies are only dealing with foreign direct investment
with incentives. For example, in Thailand, a company,
which has Thai majority, is considered as Thai
company. Therefore, even 49% of the stock is held
by Japanese parent company, this company will not
appear as foreign company in any data. In case
of Thailand, there is 1,741 BOI promoted Japanese
companies from 1986 to 2000, but the number of
member at Bangkok Japanese Chamber of Commerce
is different, 1,159 companies. A source estimates
that there are 3,000 Japanese companies in Thailand.
Japanese Ministry of Finance also has statistics
on Japanese overseas direct investment, but investments
less than 100 million yen are not included in this
data because there is no duty to report. (There
are some exceptional cases.) |
| |
|
| Q.How can I
find import duties of ASEAN? |
|
| A. |
All the ASEAN’s tariff rates imposed on products exported from Japan cannot be checked. You can contact the section which is in-charge of the said matter in Embassy or Trade Promotion organization of each country or you can access to the database provided by JETRO (http://www.jetro.go.jp/theme/trade/tariff).
Regarding the CEPT rate in ASEAN, you can download the said data from homepage of the office of the ASEAN Secretariat (http://www.asean.org/22368.zip).
When checking the import tariff rate, not only the product but the HS (Harmonized Commodities Description and Coding Systems) code and tariff line are also necessary. HS code is the 6-digit code widely used in the world. Each country sets its own tariff line under the 6-digit HS code. To check the HS code, it is convenient to use the “Customs Tariff Schedule of Japan” published by Japan Tariff Association.
|
| |
|
| Q.What kind
of matters does Investment Division handle? |
|
| A. |
In Investment Division, we are
handling following matters in addition to the investment
promotional events.
*Compiles/distributes
investment related materials
*Consultation service on general investment
climate/policy
*Collects materials on Industrial Estates
*Collects investment related materials
(news clipping, purchasing materials)
*Introduces investment related agencies |
We are not handling the following matters:
*Translates,
receives or submits applications on investment
*Consultation service except general investment
climate/policy
*Arbitration
*Consultation that binding up companies |
|
| |
|
| Q.There are
so many abbreviations. |
|
| A. |
Here are some abbreviations and
formal names to help you. For your information,
ASEAN secretariat provides detailed information
on its website. ASEAN Secretariat website:
(http://www.aseansec.org/) |
| |
| Abbreviations |
Formal Name |
| AEM |
ASEAN Economic Ministers'
Meeting |
| AFTA |
ASEAN Free Trade Area |
| AIA |
ASEAN Investment Area |
| AICO |
ASEAN Industrial Cooperation
Scheme |
| AIJV |
ASEAN Industrial Joint
Venture |
| BBC |
Brand to Brand Complementation
Scheme |
| BIMP-EAGA |
Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines
East ASEAN Growth Area |
| BKPM |
Investment Coordinating
Board
(BKPM is same meaning abbreviation in Indonesia) |
| BOI |
Board of Investment |
| BOI |
Board of Investments |
| CDC |
Council for the Development
of Cambodia |
| CDC |
Clark Development Corporation |
| CEPT |
Common Effective Preferential
Tariff |
| CIB |
Cambodian Investment Board |
| CO |
Certificate of Origin |
| EDB |
Economic Development Board |
| FDI |
Foreign Direct Investment |
| GMS |
Greater Mekong Sub-region
Economic Cooperation |
| IL |
Inclusion List |
| IMT-GT |
Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore
Growth Triangle |
| IMT-GT |
Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand
Growth Triangle |
| MIDA |
Malaysian Industrial Development
Authority |
| MIPR |
Ministry of Industry and
Primary Resources |
| MPI |
Ministry of Planning and
Investment |
| PEZA |
Philippine Economic Zone
Authority |
| PTA |
Preferential Trading Arrangement |
| SBMA |
Subic Bay Metropolitan
Authority |
| SEOM |
Senior Economic Officials
Meeting |
| SL |
Sensitive List |
| TEL |
Temporary Exclusion List |
|
| |
|
|
|
| Q.When is the
best traveling season in ASEAN? |
|
| A. |
Most ASEAN countries have two
seasons, i.e. dry and rainy, so it is preferable
if you can avoid the rainy season. Rainy seasons
however are unlike in Japan, and it is rarely to
rain continuously all day. |
| |
| Rainy
season in ASEAN |
| Brunei |
November-March |
| Cambodia |
May-October |
| Indonesia |
October-March |
| Malaysia |
November-February
(East Coast Malaysia Peninsula and East Malaysia) |
| The Philippines |
June-November |
| Singapore |
November-February |
| Thailand |
May-October |
| Vietnam |
<HCM and South> May-October,
<Hue and Central> September-January,
<Hanoi and North> June-October |
|
| |
|
| Q.I plan to
visit ASEAN during the year-end, New Year holiday.
What is New Year in ASEAN like? |
|
| A. |
In most ASEAN countries, New
Year Day (Jan. 1) is a national holiday, but it
is not a long holiday like in Japan. Instead, the
countries go into celebration during the following
events, and businesses will be closed and public
transportation will be full since most people are
returning to their hometowns to spend the holidays
with their families.
• Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore – Eid
Fitri, Idul Fitri, Hari Raya Puasa (Celebration
for the end of Ramadan, a month-long fasting for
Muslims)
• Singapore, Vietnam – Lunar New Year
(“Chinese New Year”
in Singapore, “Tet” in Vietnam)
• The Philippines – Holy Week and Christmas
• Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand – New
Year (Cambodian New Year, Lao New Year, Myanmar
New Year, “Songkran” in Thailand)
Also, on Balinese New Year Day or “Nyepi” in
Bali (Indonesia), tourists as well as locals are
not supposed to go out, and airports and seaports
in Bali are closed.
Please note that most holiday dates are not fixed
and changed annually based on different calendars
e.g. lunar, Islamic and Hindu. |
| |
|
|
|
| Q.Are Malay
Railway tickets available in Japan, and is reservation
necessary? |
|
| A. |
You can book and purchase the
tickets online from KTM
(Malay Railway company)'s web site. Usually,
tickets are available unless during the peak traveling
times in the region, but it is advisable to purchase
tickets in advance, as the train service is not
frequent, and the number of sleeping coaches are
limited. |
| |
|
| Q.Can I purchase
ASEAN currencies in Japan? |
|
| A. |
Singapore dollars are available
at major banks with foreign currency services,
and Rupiah (Indonesia), Ringgit (Malaysia), Peso
(Philippines); Baht (Thailand) are available at
a few foreign banks in Tokyo. Some banks provide
a delivery service too. |
| |
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