Trade of products among ASEAN members has been facilitated more than before and products costs are lesser, with the elimination of tariffs. However, there are still non-tariff issues that are delaying products to reach the market. These non-tariff issues include different product specifications, regulations on safety and quality, and the existence of requirements including pre-market approval requirements.

The mandate of eliminating those non-tariff barriers, also known as technical barriers to trade (TBT) is given to the ASEAN Consultative Committee for Standards and Quality (ACCSQ). The ACCSQ was established in to support the realisation of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA).

The elimination of technical barriers to trade is consistent with international principles such as: (i) transparency/exchange of information, (ii) harmonisation of standards, (iii) mutual recognition arrangements (MRA), (iv) harmonisation of regulatory regimes, and (v) technical cooperation. The initiatives and measures on reducing TBT constituted the realisation of AFTA in 2010, the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community in December 2015, and towards further integration in line with the ASEAN Vision 2025.