Are Regional Trade Agreements in Asia Stumbling or Building Blocks? Some Implications for the Mekong-3 Countries

Is the recent proliferation of Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) in Asia a healthy development, or runs the risk of turning into an unmanageable "noodle bowl" in the future? The goal of this paper is to shed some light on this question. The results show that membership in the Asian RTAs considered in this study have not, to date, occurred at the expense of trade with nonmembers, as most Asian countries' integration with the global economy preceded regional integration. However, looking forward, given their discriminatory nature, a proliferation of RTAs, which is not accompanied by continuing unilateral and multilateral liberalization, could run the risk of leading to costly trade diversion.

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Year of publication:	2007-03-01
Authors:	Tumbarello, Patrizia
Institutions:	International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Subject:	Asia \| Economic models \| regional trade \| trade agreements \| trade diversion \| free trade \| rules of origin \| regional integration \| regional trade agreements \| preferential trade \| preferential trade agreements \| regionalism \| trade flows \| trade agreement \| trade creation \| multilateral liberalization \| trade integration \| free trade area \| trade area \| bloc trade \| intra-regional trade \| tariff rates \| trade data \| bilateral trade \| economic integration \| regional trade integration \| free trade agreement \| aggregate trade \| most-favored-nation \| trade liberalization \| unilateral liberalization \| economic cooperation \| regional cooperation \| trade arrangements \| mfn tariffs \| trade effects \| preferential trading \| preferential agreements \| international trade \| evidence of trade diversion \| multilateral trade \| bilateral trade flows \| trade effect \| regional agreements \| free trade agreements \| nonmember trading partners \| trade creating \| tariff preferences \| trading arrangement \| trade regimes \| intra-asean trade \| trading partners \| per capita income \| trade reforms \| multilateral trade arrangements \| trade patterns \| importing country \| dispute settlement \| trade theory \| trade areas \| multilateralism \| free trade areas \| common market \| trading system \| trading arrangements \| trade facilitation \| political economy \| open regionalism \| economic community \| regional trade arrangements \| trade diversion effect \| outward-looking pattern \| member imports \| bilateral agreements \| increased trade \| free trade zone \| nondiscriminatory trade \| trade facilitation measures \| trade preferences \| preferential tariff \| foreign trade \| trade pattern \| trade openness \| economic partnership agreement \| adjustment period \| nontariff barriers \| intermediate goods \| global integration \| regional markets \| perfect competition \| neighboring countries \| world markets \| international integration \| changes in trade \| trade barriers \| open trade \| intra regional trade \| regional agreement \| multilateral trade liberalization \| pattern of trade \| multilateral level \| regional integration efforts \| regional trade blocs \| dispute settlement mechanism \| tariff reduction \| world economy \| trade dispute \| integration efforts \| trade blocs \| preferential trade agreement \| preferential arrangements \| intra- asean trade \| bilateral trade agreements \| trade relations \| country imports \| preferential trading arrangements \| regional groups \| regional trading arrangements \| liberal trade \| trade bloc \| regional level \| domestic production \| global liberalization \| dispute settlement provisions \| volume of trade \| regional market \| import duties \| merchandise trade \| measure of trade \| nondiscriminatory trade liberalization \| trade flow \| trade partners

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Extent:	application/pdf
Series:	IMF Working Papers.
Type of publication:	Book / Working Paper
Language:	English
Notes:	The text is part of a series IMF Working Papers Number 07/53 2 pages long
Source:	RePEc - Research Papers in Economics

Persistent link: https://www.econbiz.de/10005263990