The future creation of a region-wide economic agreement in Asia has become the hot issue among trade policymakers in the region. The APEC 2010 Summit Statement clearly states that the members should pursue a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP), building on various ongoing regional...

Since 2006, the World Bank has been ranking almost 200 countries in terms of their ease of doing business (EoDB) to underscore the importance of a thriving private sector in promoting high and inclusive growth. Comparing these metrics for business friendliness among economic partners is more...

The paper investigated the difference the EU made to the nature and speed of convergence process in the countries that joined the EU since 2004 relative to countries that converged outside such closely-knit supranational organization. It draws some lessons from this analysis for ASEAN countries....

This paper is an integration of the studies commissioned under the DFA-PIDS memorandum of agreement to explore the priority areas during the Philippines' APEC hosting in 2015 under the theme: "Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World". The four priority areas in the APEC 2015 agenda...

As East Asia becomes increasingly integrated through market-driven trade and FDI activities, free trade agreements (FTAs) are proliferating. Consolidation of multiple and overlapping FTAs into a single East Asian FTA can help mitigate the harmful noodle bowl effects of different or competing...

How are the ASEAN+1 free trade agreements facilitating the flow of goods in the supply chain in East Asia? This chapter looks at the experience of the Philippine automotive and electronic sectors"-two sectors that are well integrated into the supply network in East Asia. Using firm interviews,...

As East Asia becomes increasing integrated through market-driven trade and FDI, free trade agreements (FTAs) are proliferating. Consodildation of mutiple and overlapping FTAs into a single East Asian FTA can help mitigate the harmful noodle bowl effects of different or competing tariffs,...

Intra-regional trade has been rising rapidly, especially after China’s accession to the WTO in 2001. China’s economy is expanding rapidly, and has already passed Japan in 2010 to become the world’s second largest economy. It is clearly producing a huge impact on the world economy, and...