Trade Facilitation in ASEAN Member Countries : Measuring Progress and Assessing Priorities

This paper reviews recent progress and indicators of trade facilitation in member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The findings show that import and export costs vary considerably in the member countries, from very low to moderately high levels. Tariff and non-tariff barriers are generally low to moderate. Infrastructure quality and services sector competitiveness range from fair to excellent. Using a standard gravity model, the authors find that trade flows in Southeast Asia are particularly sensitive to transport infrastructure and information and communications technology. The results suggest that the region stands to make significant economic gains from trade facilitation reform. These gains could be considerably larger than those from comparable tariff reforms. Estimates suggest that improving port facilities in the region, for example, could expand trade by up to 7.5 percent or $22 billion. The authors interpret this as an indication of the vital role that transport infrastructure can play in enhancing intra-regional trade.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Shepherd, Ben, Wilson, John S.
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2008-05
Subjects:	ABSOLUTE VALUE, AGRICULTURAL TRADE, AGRICULTURE, AIM, AIR, AIR INFRASTRUCTURE, AIR TRANSPORT, AIRPORT, AIRPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, AIRPORTS, APPLIED TARIFF, AVERAGE TARIFF, BARRIERS TO ENTRY, BASE YEAR, BENCHMARK, BENEFITS OF TRADE, BENEFITS OF TRADE FACILITATION, BILATERAL TRADE, CAPITAL GOODS, CARGO, COUNTERFACTUAL SIMULATIONS, CUSTOMS, CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATION, CUSTOMS ADMINISTRATIONS, CUSTOMS BROKERS, CUSTOMS CLEARANCE, CUSTOMS PROCEDURES, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DEVELOPMENT ECONOMICS, DISTRIBUTION NETWORK, DOMESTIC MARKET, DRIVING, ECONOMETRIC ANALYSIS, ECONOMETRIC ESTIMATES, ECONOMIC POLICY, ECONOMIC WELFARE, ECONOMICS RESEARCH, ELASTICITIES, ELASTICITY, ELASTICITY OF SUBSTITUTION, EXPORT COSTS, EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION, EXPORT MARKET, EXPORT MARKETS, EXPORT PERMITS, EXPORT SUBSIDIES, EXPORTERS, EXPORTS, FIXED COSTS, FOREIGN MARKETS, FREE TRADE, FREIGHT, FREIGHT FORWARDERS, FUEL, FUELS, FULL LIBERALIZATION, FUTURE RESEARCH, GDP, GENERAL EQUILIBRIUM, GENERAL EQUILIBRIUM MODEL, GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS, GOODS TRANSPORT, GRAVITY MODEL, GRAVITY MODELS, IMPACT OF TRADE, IMPORT BARRIERS, IMPORT COST, IMPORT COSTS, IMPORT PRICES, IMPORTS, INCOME, INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADING, INLAND WATERWAYS, INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS, INTERNATIONAL TRADE, INTERNATIONAL TRADING, INTERNATIONAL TRADING SYSTEM, INTRAREGIONAL TRADE, MARGINAL COSTS, MARGINAL PRODUCTION, MARITIME PORTS, MARITIME TRANSPORT, MARKET ACCESS, MARKET SIZE, MARKET STRUCTURE, MIDDLE INCOME COUNTRIES, MULTILATERAL LIBERALIZATION, NATIONAL ECONOMY, NON-TARIFF BARRIERS, OPENNESS, PACIFIC REGION, PORT FACILITIES, PRODUCTION COSTS, PRODUCTIVITY, QUALITY OF TRANSPORT, QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS, REGIONAL TRADE, ROAD, ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE, ROAD NETWORK, ROUTES, SAFETY, SAFETY STANDARDS, SHIPPERS, SHIPPING, SHIPPING ROUTES, SOURCING, SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, TARIFF BARRIERS, TARIFF PROTECTION, TARIFF RATES, TARIFF REDUCTIONS, TECHNICAL REGULATIONS, TRADE BARRIERS, TRADE COSTS, TRADE DATA, TRADE EFFECTS, TRADE EXPANSION, TRADE FACILITATION, TRADE FLOWS, TRADE LIBERALIZATION, TRADE PATTERNS, TRADE PERFORMANCE, TRADE POLICY, TRADE POLICY ENVIRONMENT, TRADE POLICY REFORMS, TRADE REFORM, TRADE THEORIES, TRAINS, TRANSACTIONS COSTS, TRANSIT, TRANSPARENCY, TRANSPORT, TRANSPORT COSTS, TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORTATION, TRUE, WORLD TRADE, WTO,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2008/05/9416618/trade-facilitation-asean-member-countries-measuring-progress-assessing-priorities https://hdl.handle.net/10986/6715
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