Overview of the ASEAN Cosmetic Regulatory System
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established in 1967 and currently comprises ten member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. As a regional economic integration organization, ASEAN is committed to promoting trade liberalization and economic cooperation among its members. With the acceleration of regional economic integration, the cosmetics industry—a highly sensitive sector directly related to public health and trade facilitation—requires harmonized regulatory systems. To address regulatory disparities among member states and promote coordination and uniformity in cosmetic regulations, ASEAN signed the Agreement on the ASEAN Harmonized Cosmetic Regulatory Scheme (AHCRS) in 2003.