This study attempts to empirically determine if the spaghetti bowl phenomenon (hereinafter referred to as the SBP) exists among the 21 member APEC trade bloc. The SBP phenomenon claims that the crisscrossing of multiple free trade agreements (FTAs) of a country with partner economies can lead to...

In the race for establishing trading architecture consistent with new landscape of the global economy, the US is ahead of the game by concluding the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement with 11 countries. To make it reality, the ratification is essential. In the battle for ratification in the US,...

The 21st century suggests a somewhat vexing scenario of ‘new protectionism', especially with the rise of protectionist non-tariff measures or NTMs. This largely refers to standard-like NTMs (sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade, known as SPS and TBTs,...

In the race for establishing trading architecture consistent with new landscape of the global economy, the US is ahead of the game by concluding the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement with 11 countries. To make it reality, the ratification is essential. In the battle for ratification in the US,...

While the pathway to the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) has been intensely discussed with a focus on its architecture, something has been missing: how to link trade and investment liberalization with inclusive growth of the APEC economies. The APEC economies have been increasingly...

Mexico’s structural reforms are already boosting productivity, but more can be done. This paper focuses on issues that have led to the success of the “modern” Mexico, and have led to difficulties with the “traditional” Mexico. These include the success of Global Value Chains (GVCs) in...

In this paper we examine the changing nature of Japan's commercial policy over the last 25 years while reviewing Japan's changing structure of trade, FDI and economy that underlay policy changes. We argue that until the late 1990s Japan adopted a two-track approach of relying on multilateral...

The global economic crisis has affected the East Asian economies via trade and investment. The export-led model which had been responsible for the "East Asian Miracle " now must redirect the basis of growth from exports sent to the US and Europe to regional and domestic demand. Regional trade...