Since countries have continued to liberalize trade both unilaterally and as part of the implementation of preferential trade agreements during the past decade, import tariff costs now often account for a very small share of the overall trade costs faced by traders in Asia and the Pacific –...

This paper presents findings from an initial analysis of new non-tariff trade cost estimates and their determinants, based on a bilateral database of comprehensive trade cost maintained by ESCAP. Results of the non-tariff policy-related trade costs modeling exercise strongly suggest that...

This chapter provides a picture of post-crisis trade and investment interventions in the Asia-Pacific region. It focuses not only on restrictions on merchandise trading, but also on new obstacles to services trade and movements of people, including service providers.

This chapter presents a set of stylized facts and PTAs features which are shared across the region’s economies. Agreements are routinely classified with respect to the level of development of partners, their number and regional proximity and contiguity. The other features of the agreements...

The Asia-Pacific region has shown resilience in the face of recent economic crises and, after a shortlived slowdown, has continued to attract FDI flows. FDI plays a central role in supporting the efforts of Asia-Pacific countries to build more sustainable development practices. Even though the...

The value of world exports of commercial services rose by 11% in 2011 to $4,170 billion, exceeding pre-crisis levels of $3,850 billion in 2008. Half of world exports of commercial services in 2011 consisted of travel receipts and other business services. Asia-Pacific as a region increased its...

This paper discusses the potential for cross-South Pacific trade between selected Southeast Asian and Latin American economies. The objective of this discussion is to identify obstales for more intensive trade between the observed countries. Firstly, the paper reviews trends in trade flows and...

Following a brief survey of the various economic cooperation programs and initiatives in which countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) - particularly Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) - are engaged, this paper examines the extent to which GMS...

This paper reviews the progress in trade-related areas of ASEAN Economic Community to be established by 2015. It provivdes empirical evidence and qualitative analysis on how the process of trade integration worked and what could have been done for it to have worked better. Where appropriate it...