Among the more than 100 less developed countries in the post-war world, the economic region surrounding mainland China, including Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Singapore, have been most successful in their transition growth process. The economists have identified the openness in orientation...

Widening imbalances in current account positions across some of the major OECD economic areas have raised concerns about related increases in protectionist sentiments. This paper reviews recent trends in market openness indicators and assesses whether barriers to international trade and...