Rose (2004) showed that the WTO or its predecessor, the GATT, did not promote trade, based on conventional econometric analysis of gravity-type equations of trade. We argue that conclusions regarding the GATT/WTO trade effect based on gravity-type equations are arbitrary and subject to...

Trade policy reforms which lead to changes in world prices of agricultural commodities or domestic policies aimed at affecting agricultural prices are often seen as causing a policy dilemma : a fall in agricultural prices benefits poor urban consumers but hurts poor rural producers, while a rise...

This study examines the observable phenomenon of growing trade intensity among the ASEAN+3 countries over the last twenty years by using standard gravity approach. While there is a conventional belief that trade intensities within CJK (China Japan and Korea) and between CJK and ASEAN have...

Since the early 1990s, regional trade agreements (RTAs) covering trade in services have proliferated, with 95 RTAs on services notified to the World Trade Organization (WTO) under Article V of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), as of June 2011. This paper discusses how RTAs...

According to simulation results, the formation of an FTA would substantially improve Koreas and Japans trade balances, while China would experience a sizeable increase in its trade deficit. This indicates that simple barriers (NTBs) within a short period of time is not a feasible approach for...

In this paper, we have focused on the effects of tariff reduction. A more comprehensive analysis - particularly, the one which considers the effects of preferential rules of origin - yet remains undone. And while economic considerations should be the logical starting point, political benefits...

This paper begins with a detailed analysis of the factors that led Koreas more open approach to FTAs, culminating in the officially stated intention of exploring a bilateral FTA with Chile. Korea and Chile have concluded preliminary talks and working-level negotiations are expected to begin in...

Services have been a key driver of overall economic growth in South Asia since the 1990s. This paper examines how the growth of services output, trade and investment have affected service sector employment in South Asia and the extent to which countries in this region are proactively undertaking...

Analysing the impact of trade on manufacturing employment in India, it is found that exports had a favourable effect on industrial employment, but the positive effect of export increase was offset by the negative effect of increases in imports. The net effect was marginal. The failure of trade...

This paper investigates the effect of regional borders on trade in Asia. The regional borders define the three regions of Asia : South, Southeast, and East Asia. Regional trade indicates the flows of trade within a region, whereas regional border trade means trade across regions. A gravity model...