Trade Issues in East Asia: FTAs in Services
June 2007

Bilateral and regional free trade agreements (FTAs) are proliferating across the globe, fundamentally altering the governance of world trade. Many of the recently concluded FTAs are comprehensive in their coverage, seeking to not only dismantle barriers to trade in goods but also the liberalization of trade in services.
What have FTAs in services actually accomplished? This paper offers an assessment of the new generation of services agreements that have been concluded in the East Asia region.

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Trade Issues in East Asia:Preferential Rules of Origin
June 2007

Rules of origin are a necessary feature of any regional trade agreement. They ensure that preferences are available only to the signatories of the agreement. As FTAs multiply in the region, putting in place rules of origin that are simple, transparent, and easy to implement becomes important. The experience in the implementation of the AFTA rules of origin can provide some lessons for the upcoming FTAs.

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Trade liberalization and the environment in Vietnam
April 2006

Vietnam's integration with the international economy has increased significantly over the past decade, aided by substantial liberalization of trade, and appears set to increase further as trade-expanding measures take full effect.

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Trading on Time
January 2006

Delays have a great impact on a developing country's exports, especially perishable agricultural products, says latest IFC/WB study. The study  highlights the need to improve trade facilitation. Removing obstacles to exports will broaden market opportunities for the private sector.  More 

Report: Trading on Time (108kb pdf) || Press Release:  Trading on Time
Website:  Doing Business || Investment Climate:   How Do Countries Rank in the Region?

China and the WTO : accession, policy reform, and poverty reduction strategies
June 2004

China's accession to the WTO requires a great many specific policy reforms. However, if the best results are to be obtained, it is important that these reforms be implemented as part of a consistent development program, rather than simply by treating them as a recipe. To do this, policy makers must understand the range and nature of the policy changes required by accession, their implications for the economy, and the availability and effects of supporting policies.

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A Trade Policy Agenda for Shared Growth
June 2003

Countries of East Asia face a substantial challenge to sustain income growth and poverty reduction in today's competitive global economy, as they continue to recover from the 1997 financial crisis and to adapt to China's emergence as a major world and regional trader.

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