The Impact of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) on Business in the Republic of Korea

The Republic of Korea (hereafter Korea) continues to promote an open-trade system via the conclusion of free trade agreements (FTAs), arguing that Korean enterprises will obtain considerable business opportunities under the FTAs the government has implemented. However, the FTAs that are currently being implemented in Korea are said to be beneficial only to some enterprises. This study presents new evidence from a survey conducted from July–August 2008 on 120 Korean firms. The paper explores critical questions regarding the utilization of FTAs, their perceived costs and benefits, perceptions of multiple rules of origin (ROOs), and policy and institutional support mechanisms for FTAs. One of the key findings is that most of the currently implemented FTAs in Korea were concluded with small- and medium-sized developing countries. Moreover, within these FTAs, the range of preferential tariffs is not very broad in scope; as such, only one out of five enterprises was found to be utilizing them. However, since the conclusion of FTAs with the United States and the European Union, Korean businesses have become very interested in utilizing those respective FTAs. The government should make efforts for early implementation of these FTAs. In the FTAs concluded by Korea, ROOs are strict and complicated. In future FTAs, a more neutral and lenient form of ROOs should be adopted.free trade agreement korea; korea fta impact; korea fta trade business

Implications of the Republic of Korea's package for enhancing FTA utilization

Increased understanding of Rules of Origin (RoO) should be treated as an important element in government programmes for supporting business sectors in free trade agreements (FTAs), as well as the identification of barriers that prevent companies from utilizing FTAs. In addition, trade and industry authorities need to understand the importance of the quality of FTAs. The Republic of Korea now has free trade agreements with 50 countries including the United States of America, the European Union, ASEAN and India

Business Use of FTAs in Korea

This paper reviews the impact of Korea's FTAs on trade and business, reporting substantial trade growth with FTA partner countries with some exceptions. It also analyzes FTA use by firms, and tries to present the effects of the FTAs on the Korean business firms. According to the paper, Korea's first four FTAs demonstrate big differences in the utilization rates. In general, the degree of FTA utilization was found to be higher with imports than with exports. Korea-Chile FTA utilization rate for Korean imports reported average of 90.5% for the four years since the FTA was implemented. In the case of Korea-Singapore FTA, Korea-EFTA FTA and Korea-ASEAN FTA, however, the utilization rates were average 29.8%, 42.5%, and 43.3%, respectively. The paper identifies the reasons for poor FTA utilizations in those FTAs, and tries to suggest policy implications for improving FTA utilization by firms.

Economic Integration in Northeast Asia : Search for a Feasible Approach

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 economic integration in Northeast Asia. Therefore in creating the Northeast Asian Free Trade Area, we need to implement a strategy that will gradually lead to regional economic integration in the region.economic integration, regional trade agreement, econoimc interdependence, Korea, China, Japan