FUTURE TRADE RESEARCH AREAS THAT MATTER TO DEVELOPING COUNTRY POLICYMAKERS

This chapter analyzes preferential trade in Asia and the PacificPreferential trade, Asia and the Pacific, noodel bowl, GATT, WTO

Mapping Preferential Trade in Asia and the Pacific: Introducing the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment

The paper addresses preferential trade agreements in Asia and the Pacific with the objective of identifying their characteristics, which can be useful in assessing the effects of their implementation. The paper relies mostly on the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Agreement Database (APTIAD) in sourcing data and information for analysis. On 26 February 2007 APTIAD was tracking 125 preferential trade agreements one party of which was a member of ESCAP. Eighty seven of those agreements of various types are in force, 62 of them being bilateral agreements, 11 regional trade agreements (RTAs), and 11 agreements between country and bloc (the residual is made up of agreements of different scope, e.g. global, and country-plurilateral, etc.). The paper utilizes factual information on membership and coverage of agreements as well as statistical data on goods trade flows in discussing selected important aspects of preferential trade in Asia and the Pacific. (a) the rapid proliferation of preferential trade and revealed preference for bilateral links; (b) strong tolerance for an engagement in multiple trade agreements with the same trading partner; and (c) reluctance to commit to full and quick liberalization in merchandise trade, and expose other trade areas apart from goods to preferential liberalization. Penultimate section discusses ways in which PTAs could be harnessed to work as complementary with the multilateral trade regime. Paper offers some policy recommendations in area of preferential trade negotiation.preferential trade, multilateral liberalization, bilateral trade agreements, regional trade agreements, Asia, Pacific, APTIAD

Determination of the coronal magnetic field from vector magnetograph data

A new algorithm was developed, tested, and applied to determine coronal magnetic fields above solar active regions. The coronal field above NOAA active region AR5747 was successfully estimated on 20 Oct. 1989 from data taken at the Mees Solar Observatory of the Univ. of Hawaii. It was shown that observational data can be used to obtain realistic estimates of coronal magnetic fields. The model has significantly extended the realism with which the coronal magnetic field can be inferred from observations. The understanding of coronal phenomena will be greatly advanced by a reliable technique, such as the one presented, for deducing the detailed spatial structure of the coronal field. The payoff from major current and proposed NASA observational efforts is heavily dependent on the success with which the coronal field can be inferred from vector magnetograms. In particular, the present inability to reliably obtain the coronal field has been a major obstacle to the theoretical advancement of solar flare theory and prediction. The results have shown that the evolutional algorithm can be used to estimate coronal magnetic fields

India: A New Player in Asian Production Networks?, Studies in Trade and Investment 75

Chapter V specifically emphasizes India’s recent initiatives towards entering into PTAs with East and South-East Asian countries. The chapter critically analyses the depth of PTAs between India and important players in IPNs in order to decide whether they contain the necessary coverage and institutional depth to provide a vehicle for the integration of India into the value chain of Asian IPNs.production network, fragmentation of production, Asia, value Chain, China, India, PTAs, trade liberalization, rules of origin

Health-related Services in Multilateral and Preferential Trade Arrangements in Asia and the Pacific

In many developing countries, the health-care sector is under-developed, lacking basic infrastructure and human capital, and attracting little attention from investors and policymakers. While encouraging globalization and trade may aggravate those problems and create additional costs in some circumstances, trade liberalization and deeper integration into the global economy could also provide opportunities and resources to address those problems more effectively. This paper contributes to the debate by reporting on the status of liberalization achieved in the health services sector by members of ESCAP through their regional and multilateral trade liberalization commitments.Health services trade, GATS, TRIPS, Preferential Trade Aggreeemetns, Modes of Services Delivery, ASEAN

Studies in Trade and Investment - AGRICULTURAL TRADE - PLANTING THE SEEDS OF REGIONAL LIBERALIZATION IN ASIA

An overview of state of preferential trade in Asia and the PacificPreferential trade agreements, agriculture, Asia and the Pacific, noodle bowl

Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Review

Agriculture is the economic activity that still provides a livelihood for the majority of people, especially the poor. Every effort thus needs to be made towards making this sector more productive and able to sustain a better quality of life for those who remain dependent on agriculture as a livelihood while also indirectly contributing to improved welfare among the remainder of the pollution. This understanding has not always been the driving force behind policymaking. It took the Uruguay Round to start mainstreaming agricultural trade into the multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization in 1995. Although a latecomer, agriculture is now at centre stage of the Doha Development Agenda negotiations, and, in the view of many, is holding the Doha Round captive as it prevents agreements in other areas of negotiations until members concur on agricultural trade liberalization.non-tariff protection, Agricultural trade liberalization, GATT, WTO, Doha Development Agenda, agriculture

Examining the potential for cross-South Pacific trade: ASEAN and Latin America

This paper discusses the potential for cross-South Pacific trade between selected Southeast Asian and Latin American economies. The objective of this discussion is to identify obstacles for more intensive trade between the observed countries. Firstly, the paper reviews trends in trade flows and trade patterns between the selected economies, and by using several trade performance indicators it finds the level of trade still relatively low. It then discusses the possible reasons for this state of affairs. It focuses on a review of tariffs, trading costs and other possible impediments to trade. Paper also considers how trade relations among these countries could be improved. It provides a background into the features of the trade agreements that have been signed among the countries belonging to these two sub-regions in an attempt to identify if any of them could be used as a “driver” for future integration

Achieving the Trade Targets of Millennium Development Goal 8-Status in the Least Developed Countries of Asia and the Pacific

This paper examines the progress made so far in achieving the trade targets of Millennium Development Goal 8 ("Building a Global Partnership for Development") with respect to the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) of Asia and the Pacific. The paper uses data from the OECD, WTO and UNDP, among others, to measure the MDG indicators 8.6, 8.7, and 8.9 with respect to these countries, thereby quantifying some of the impacts in these countries of recent global and national policy changes in the areas of market access, tariff preferences for LDCs and Aid for Trade. This paper concludes that while the market access commitments of the Hone Kong WTO Ministerial Declaration of 2005 have largely been met and LDCs of the Asia-Pacific benefit disproportionately from Aid for Trade, the overall share of LDC exports as a part of total world exports has not increased over the past decade. In its conclusion, this paper suggests that other factors such as non-tariff barriers and product competitiveness play a significant role and should become polic priorities of better targeted Aid for Trade.MDG 8, least developed countries (LDCs), Asia, Pacific, market access, tariff-free, quota-free, MDG indicators 8.6, 8.7 and 8.9, supply capacity, aid for trade