The formation of free trade agreements (FTAs) has been set in motion worldwide and its conclusion does not appear imminent in the near future. In the face of such developments, the Philippines is hard pressed to formulate a more rational FTA policy framework to deal with not just external, but...

Rules of Origin (ROO) set the criteria in determining the nationality of a product and where a product was made. The importance of ROO has increased in the past years as more countries engage in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and begun treating goods differently according to where the product was...

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...

With overlapping, multiple free trade agreements (FTAs), such as the case of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the various ASEAN+1 FTAs, complications that run counter to the economic integration objectives of the East Asian region could arise. Forging the Regional...

The ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint targets an ASEAN single market in 2015. This is an ambitious reform agenda that seeks to ensure the free flow of services, investment, and skilled labor along with the free flow of goods and the freer flow of capital in the ASEAN region. For logistics...

The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint states the plan of ASEAN countries to unify into a single market and production base. A priority focus for integration is enhancement of trade among ASEAN member countries and long-term competitiveness of food and agriculture products produced within...

This paper is part of the Philippine study for the ERIA project on the Mid-Term Review (MTR) of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint. A milestone in ASEAN economic cooperation is the Cebu Declaration on the Acceleration of the Establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015 during the 12th...

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,...

This paper discusses the nature of the rules of origin (ROOs) in the ASEAN+1 FTAs, particularly with respect to features and characteristics that could either facilitate or hinder the development of value chains, and the participation of firms in the increased globalization of production. By...