ASEAN auto strategy stresses greener cars

April 1, 2010

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has announced plans to energize its automobile industry with a focus on strategic environment-friendly models. Moving towards fully deregulating imports of finished cars within the region this month, each government will help boost domestic car production and build a competitive advantage through tax policy, mainly favoring greener cars. Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines and Brunei all abolished tariffs on cars imported from other ASEAN members in January. The remaining four members — Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar — will follow suit by 2018 at the latest. Thailand, where the region’s auto industry is most densely concentrated, will use this as leverage to increase exports to neighboring countries, with environment-friendly cars central to the strategy due to projected growth in demand. (January 26, 2010)

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