The rise of mega-regionals such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) suggests that the world trade system is fragmenting to the point it appears more like a jigsaw puzzle than a spaghetti bowl. There are both regional and global jigsaw...

Previous studies on the impacts of free trade agreements (FTAs) in East Asia have assumed full utilization of preferences. The evidence suggests that this assumption is seriously in error, with the estimated uptake particularly low in East Asia. In this paper, we assume a more realistic...

The decision to establish the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) was initially met with widespread enthusiasm. Some of this enthusiasm has since dissipated as all countries except Singapore have voiced concerns regarding the ability of sensitive industries to compete in the new protection-free...

This paper analyzes the World Trade Organization's (WTO) Trade Policy Review: Cambodia, the first completed for the country. The report highlights Cambodia's rapid economic growth after one of the world’s worst genocides in the 20th century. This growth has been underpinned by open trade and...

ASEAN has significant achievements to its credit. It is a durable and effective functioning entity, more so than any other regional organization in the developing world. For a region characterized by great diversity and a history of conflict, ASEAN has played a role in delivering relative peace...