- The Thirty-first ASEAN Economic Ministers – Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (AEM-METI) Consultation was held on 24 September 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Consultation was co-chaired by H.E. Tengku Datuk Seri Utama Zafrul Aziz, Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Malaysia, and H.E. Yoji Muto, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan. The Meeting also welcomed the participation of H.E. Filipus Nino Pereira, Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, who joined the Consultation as an observer.
- The Meeting noted that, according to ASEAN’s preliminary statistics, the total two-way trade between ASEAN and Japan reached USD 236.4 billion in 2024, whilst total foreign direct investment (FDI) flows from Japan into ASEAN were valued at USD 17.5 billion in 2024. These figures placed Japan as ASEAN’s fourth largest trading partner and fifth largest source of foreign direct investment last year.
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