MANILA: The 10-member Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) must work vigorously to bring down tariffs in the region to zero and eliminate non-tariff barriers, as there is no other alternative to create a seamless economy, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He said ASEAN has made great strides in the last 50 years by multiplying the economy 28 times, from US$87.2 billion (RM380 billion) in 1975 to US$2.5 trillion (RM10.88 trillion) in 2014 and it was now expected to grow to US$9.2 trillion (RM40 trillion) by 2050, making it the fourth largest economic grouping in the world.