Kuala Lumpur, 23 September 2025: At the 28th ASEAN Investment Area (AIA) Council Meeting, held in conjunction with the 57th ASEAN Economic Ministers’ Meeting (AEM) and Related Meetings, ERIA President Tetsuya Watanabe presented ERIA’s latest policy research study, Global Minimum Tax: Implications for ASEAN Investment Competitiveness.

The AIA Council, comprising ASEAN economic ministers and alternate ministers, reviewed developments in regional investment policies and global economic trends, while discussing strategies to further deepen ASEAN’s economic integration.

In his presentation, President Watanabe underscored that ASEAN Member States remain amongst the world’s top investment destinations, with strong inflows in sectors such as semiconductors, tourism, consumer products, e-commerce, banking, and critical commodities like nickel. He noted that the implementation of the Global Minimum Tax will require ASEAN to re-examine existing incentives and investment promotion strategies to sustain its competitiveness.

He concluded by outlining key policy recommendations to ensure that ASEAN continues to position itself as an attractive and globally competitive hub for foreign direct investment.