China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed to remove all tariffs on merchandise goods by the end of the decade. The deal is part of a wider free trade agreement scheduled to be signed at a China-ASEAN leaders' summit in November. The two sides will begin to implement tariff cuts next year, China's Ministry of Commerce said. The 10-nation bloc is China's fifth largest trading partner, with two-way trade currently accounting for more than one-tenth of mainland trade volume. The two sides have been negotiating details of a trade pact for several months, but the breakthrough came in September when ASEAN members agreed to grant China market economy status.
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