While it is commonly accepted that multilateral liberalization will bring the greatest global gains from liberalization, regional agreements may be much more feasible in the short term. The dictum from the traditional trade theory on the superiority of unilaterally applied free trade for a small...

The global economic crisis has attracted renewed attention to the issue of trade finance as exporters in some countries, particularly SMEs, struggle to secure much needed short-term financing and protection against rising commercial risks at a time when demand for their products has fallen...

This chapter undertakes a comprehensive assessment of the potential implications of the European Union-India FTA for India as well for various other low-income developing countries in Asia and Africa. Such as analysis provides important information on, and insights into bilateral trade patterns...

Businesses are crucial members of society, in fact, many are also significant social institutions. The decisions they make and the actions they take reverberate throughout society. Society depends on businesses in their provision of jobs, investment, goods and services produced, and development...

CSR in Asia has moved from ideology to reality and become an increasingly important aspect for how businesses conduct themselves in Asia today. However, while many businesses have awakened to this demand, they are much less clear as to how to best proceed with CSR. In fact, many common CSR...

This paper focuses on a key dynamic that is changing the business environment: the globalization of production, which has major implications for the growth prospects of SMEs in Asia and the Pacific. The current global economic environment is characterized by trade liberalization, rapidly...

The improvement of national competitiveness is often cited as a measure that can increase the attractiveness of a country. In fact, competitiveness seems to have become a general economic buzzword, comprising any policy that allows a country to earn more foreign exchange, and raise productivity...

This chapter attempts to identify regional cooperation measures that support trade and transport facilitation and thereby enhance export competitiveness. This will be done by examining some experiences in Asia and the Pacific that illustrate how cooperation has developed or is developing.

The factors that affect export competitiveness are complex. From a firm's perspective, an appropriate trading environment in which the firm can conduct its business plays an important role in the creation of competitiveness. Thus, a trade-enabling environment, based on (a) adequate trade...

This chapter explore why it is so important to study transportation costs in the context of Asia. Which has a higher incidence on trade in Asia-tariffs or freight costs? Since international transport costs, to a great extent, depend on ocean freight rates, the next step is to understand the...