Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce Supachai Jutamat revealed that the negotiations on the ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) were successfully concluded at the 2nd ASEAN Senior Economic Officials Meeting (SEOM) 2026 held in Manila, Philippines, from 27-29 May 2026. As chair of the DEFA Negotiating Committee (DEFA NC), Thailand played a key role in driving the negotiations and coordinating member countries' positions, leading ASEAN to successfully reach the DEFA agreement. This marks an important milestone in laying the foundation for the region's digital economy. The next step involves legal scrubbing to prepare for the formal signing at the ASEAN Summit in November 2026.
Supachai said that, as Thailand was entrustedwith the chairmanshipof the DEFA Negotiating Committee, it worked closely with all ASEAN member states to drive the negotiations and build consensus. This effort turned complex negotiations covering future digital economy issues into a successful outcome. This achievement not only reflects Thailand’s leading role on the international economic stage but also demonstrates ASEAN’s capability to jointly establish high-standard regional digital economy rules. These align with the rapidly changing global economic context and enhance confidence in global digital trade and investment.
Supachai added that DEFA is more than just an ASEAN digital economy agreement; it is a new framework that will elevate ASEAN’s digital business environment, enabling smoother cross-border trade and investment by reducing costs and increasing efficiency through interoperable digital systems among member countries. This will create new opportunities for businesses in the region, especially MSMEs, by improving access to markets, technology, and innovation. Additionally, DEFA lays the foundation for a stable and trustworthy ASEAN digital economy through cooperation on cybersecurity, consumer protection, anti-online fraud measures, and readiness for future technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), ensuring ASEAN’s competitiveness in the global digital economy.
DEFA is the world’s first regional digital economy agreement developed among ASEAN member states. Official negotiations began in 2023 and were successfully concluded in 2026. This success marks another key milestone reaffirming Thailand’s leadership in driving the region’s digital economy agenda. Studies indicate that DEFA will help boost ASEAN’s digital economy value to 2 trillion US dollars by 2030, positioning ASEAN as a comprehensive, connected, and sustainable digital economy hub on the global stage.
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