The Dimensions of Regional Trade Integration in Southeast Asia PDF Download

Author: Mohammed Zakirul Hafez
Publisher: Brill Nijhoff
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 518

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Book Description
This is the first comprehensive work on the free trade area of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Free Trade Area (AFTA). The author argues that in practice the free trade area of ASEAN is a failure and that, unless AFTA leaders take serious measures to improve it, it will change from being "not that useful" into being completely "useless." Published under the Transnational Publishers imprint.

Author: Nihal Pitigala
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN:
Category : Asia, South
Languages : en
Pages : 71

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Book Description
The author further demonstrates through additional statistical measures--including revealed comparative advantage indices, trade concentration, and trade competition profiles--that the trade structures that have evolved among the South Asian Countries may not facilitate a rapid increase in intra-regional trade. But there is evidence that previous unilateral trade liberalization efforts in the South Asian countries have already had a positive impact in boosting both intra- and extra-regional trade. Continuing the process of unilateral liberalization, in parallel with regional integration, would aid the South Asian countries to continue to diversify their still narrow export bases and potentially evolve new comparative advantages and complementarities that could facilitate the successful implementation of SAFTA"--Abstract.

Author: Sultan Hafeez Rahman
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN: 1781005249
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 425

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Book Description
South Asian leaders have made it a priority to tackle key regional issues such as poverty, environment degradation, trade and investment barriers and food insecurity, among others.

Author: Selim Raihan
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 9811539324
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
Gathering contributions from leading academics and international trade experts from South Asia, this book is dedicated to the late Dr. Saman Kelegma, whose untimely death in June 2017 left a huge void in the field of regional economic cooperation. Keeping in mind his enduring legacy regarding regional cooperation in South Asia, it covers issues related to the challenges of deeper regional integration in South Asia and proposes strategies to address these challenges. It also offers an up-to-date, rigorous academic analysis of various issues related to low intra-regional trade in South Asia; prevalence of tariff barriers; incidence of a range of non-tariff measures; challenges of weak-trade-related infrastructure and the need for trade facilitation; the political economics of regional integration, highlighting how bilateral political relations affect the integration process; low level of intra-regional investment; South Asia’s pattern of integration with the global and regional value chains; pattern and dominance of informal trade; and alternative regional integration initiatives in South Asia, such as the bilateral, regional, and sub-regional trade agreements within and countries outside this region. Intended primarily for researchers and students of international trade, and policymakers from South Asia and beyond, the book is also a valuable supplementary reference resource for researchers and students. Furthermore, the pragmatic analysis of the policy options presented offers guidance for policymakers in South Asia wanting to implement effective policies and strategies for deeper regional integration.

Author: Nihal Pitigala
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
In 1995 the seven South Asian countries-Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka-initiated a multilateral framework for regionwide integration under the South Asian Preferential Trade Agreement (SAPTA). In a recent initiative, members agreed that SAPTA would begin the transformation into a South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) by the beginning of 2006, with full implementation completed between 2009 and 2013. The impetus toward regional preferential trading arrangements and greater regional economic integration raises many important issues, both for the South Asian region as a whole and for the individual countries. The author uses the natural trading partners hypothesis as the empirical criterion to assess the potential success of a South Asian trading bloc. Using various definitions of the natural trading partner hypothesis-based on trade volume, geographic proximity, and the complementarity approaches-the author demonstrates that the South Asian countries can be characterized only moderately as natural trading partners. This characterization is, however, largely a consequence of previous impediments to trade among regional members. The author further demonstrates through additional statistical measures-including revealed comparative advantage indices, trade concentration, and trade competition profiles-that the trade structures that have evolved among the South Asian Countries may not facilitate a rapid increase in intra-regional trade. But there is evidence that previous unilateral trade liberalization efforts in the South Asian countries have already had a positive impact in boosting both intra- and extra-regional trade. Continuing the process of unilateral liberalization, in parallel with regional integration, would aid the South Asian countries to continue to diversify their still narrow export bases and potentially evolve new comparative advantages and complementarities that could facilitate the successful implementation of SAFTA.

Author: Hyung Jong Kim
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : International economic integration
Languages : en
Pages : 142

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Book Description

Author: ADBI
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press
ISBN: 4899740484
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 320

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Book Description
This report analyzes how closer regional connectivity and economic integration between South Asia and Southeast Asia can benefit both regions, with a focus on the role played by infrastructure and public policies in facilitating this process. It examines major developments in South Asian–Southeast Asian trade and investment, economic cooperation, the role of economic corridors, and regional cooperation initiatives. In particular, it identifies significant opportunities for strengthening these integration efforts as a result of the recent opening up of Myanmar in political, economic, and financial terms. This is particularly the case for land-based transportation—highways and railroads—and energy trading. The report’s focus is on connectivity in a broad sense, covering both hardware and software, including investment in infrastructure, energy trading, trade facilitation, investment financing, and support for national and regional policies.

Author: Sanjay Kathuria
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464812950
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 218

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Book Description
Trade has played a critical role in global poverty reduction. In harnessing the potential of trade, some of the most successful countries have developed strong trade relationships with their neighbors. However, many South Asian countries have trade regimes that often offset the positive impact of geography and proximity. This report documents systematically the gaps between current and potential trade in South Asia and addresses important specific barriers that have held trade back. These barriers include tariffs and paratariffs, real and perceived nontariff barriers, connectivity costs, and the broader trust deficit. This policy-focused report unpacks these critical barriers to effective trade integration in South Asia through four in-depth studies that produce new, detailed, on-the-ground knowledge. Three of the studies are based on extensive stakeholder consultations. Two also rely on tailored surveys. The fourth study, on tariffs, benefits from new data on paratariffs. The report also marshals new evidence showing how trading regimes in South Asia discriminate against each other. Given the South Asian context, incremental, yet concrete steps aimed at tapping the potential of deeper integration are appropriate. The report has been drafted in this spirit. It offers precise, actionable policy recommendations that could help achieve measurable progress in key areas of trade and integration that would be to the advantage of all countries in the region.

Author: Heribert Dieter
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134063946
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 258

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Book Description
This edited volume looks at regional integration processes in Asia. Whilst integration in the region, defined as Southeast and East Asia, is not a new process, it has gained momentum in recent years. Two developments have acted as catalysts for integration, first at the economic level the Asian crisis of 1997 has been the watershed for most countries in the region. Ever since, there have been continuing search processes for sovereignty-enhancing types of economic policies, and the region is one location where policy-makers look for new avenues to strengthen the position of their countries. The second major development is the continuing rise of China in the region. Today, China is not only the manufacturing powerhouse of the region, but it increasingly functions as a "benign hegemon" in Asia. Integration processes in Asia take place at several levels; in trade, finance and security affairs. This book analyses these dimensions of integration and sheds light on the prospects for successful integration. It investigates the puzzling, sometimes contracting trends of co-operation and integration in Asia. The contributors to this volume look at a theme that is of growing importance to the discipline of political science as much as it is relevant for policy makers. By combing the analysis of the three dimensions of integration, The Evolution of Regionalism in Asia enables readers to gain a broad understanding of the theory and practice of the integration processes.

Author: Owais Hasan Khan
Publisher:
ISBN: 9789813367784
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
This book brings forth the philosophical, conceptual and practical contours of the trade regionalism provisions under the GATT/WTO. It analyses SAARC as the regional integration organisation of South Asia along with identifying major challenges and bottlenecks faced by it in the process of achieving regional integration. It presents ways and methods through which SAARC can be made a more effective regional organisation. The book predominantly focuses on trade regionalism. However, other areas of integration which have impacts on the trade regionalism are also examined like social and political integrations etc. The book takes off from the premise that trade regionalism under SAARC has failed and has been marred by political and security concerns among its member nations. It has failed to achieve its objective on all the three counts, which are promoting peace, development and economic cooperation. However, with the developing countries as members, SAARC has great potential for trade integration. Certain structural, normative and organisation alteration along with favourable ideation can still make SAARC achieve its full potential. The book also deals with the comparative analysis of SAARC regional integration with the regional integration under European Union and ASEAN. Regarding comparative regionalism, the discussion has been confined only to the EU and ASEAN. The EU has been chosen because it is comparatively established as one of the most successful regional organisations in the contemporary world. Whereas, ASEAN has been chosen because of its similarity to the SAARC's economy, society and political structure. The analysis presented in the book is from the perspectives of international law and international relations' theories and practise. This book thus is of particular relevance to the students, researchers, academicians, policymakers and practitioners of international trade law, international relations and South Asian studies. .