As the EU advances free trade with Southeast Asia, why is there no ASEAN-wide deal?

The EU and several Southeast Asian nations are nearing the finish line on bilateral trade deals , and if the current deadlines hold, the European bloc will have agreements in place with six out of 11 ASEAN states by the middle of next year. Free trade agreements with Singapore and Vietnam are already in force . Negotiations with Indonesia have concluded , and Jakarta aims to sign the agreement in October , with implementation targeted for early 2027. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Talks with Thailand , relaunched in 2023, have reached nine negotiating rounds, while Malaysia resumed negotiations in early 2025 after a 13-year pause.