WTO+ Commitments on services in Asian PTAs: The role of regulatory homogeneity and goods trade complementarity

ASIA-PACIFIC RESEARCH AND TRAINING NETWORK ON TRADE Working Paper NO. 178| 2018 by Anirudh Shingal, Martin Roy and Pierre Sauvé

Abstract

This paper looks at the role of applied services regulations in accounting for WTO+ commitments on trade in services in preferential trade agreements (PTAs) among Asian economies. The empirical findings suggest that Asian trading dyads with regulatory frameworks that are more similar and more trade-restrictive tend to undertake higher levels of WTO+ commitments on services in their PTAs. There is also evidence in the results for such WTO+ commitments being driven by goods trade complementarities, alluding to the importance of supply chain dynamics in the region. Such results support the hypothesis that the heightened “servicification” of production generates a greater demand for lower services input costs and for certainty against possible new and disruptive services barriers.

Full text available via Researchgate

 

New publications from OECD, mid February 2019

New OECD publications have been uploaded to the OECD iLibrary, a comprehensive digital repository of books, papers, and statistics from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Titles recently added include:

• Sector Financing in the SDG Era (The Development Dimensions series)
• Linking the Indigenous Sami People with Regional Development in Sweden (OECD Rural Policy Reviews series)
• Digital Government Review of Brazil: Towards the Digital Transformation of the Public Sector (OECD Digital Government Studies series)
• Misuse of Small Parcels for Trade in Counterfeit Goods: Facts and Trends (Illicit Trade series)
• Assessing Global Progress in the Governance of Critical Risks (OECD Reviews of Risk Management Policies series)
• Multilateral Development Finance: Towards a New Pact on Multilateralism to Achieve the 2030 Agenda Together
• Social impact Investment 2019: The Impact Imperative for Sustainable Development
• Working Better with Age: Japan (Ageing and Employment Policies series)
• Recruiting Immigrant Workers: Korea 2019 (Recruiting Immigrant Workers series)
• Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use in Latin America: Evidence from Environmental Performance Reviews (OECD Environmental Performance Reviews series)
• Boosting Productivity and Inclusive Growth in Latin America
• OECD Economic Survey of Costa Rica: Research Findings on Productivity
• OECD Economic Survey of the United States: Key Research Findings
• OECD Economic Surveys: Germany 2018, Australia 2018, Hungary 2019, Denmark 2019
• OECD Reviews of Innovation Policy: Austria 2018

These volumes and more are accessible from the OECD iLibrary by WTO staff and WTO Library patrons.

New statistical publications from OECD, mid February 2019

New OECD publications have been uploaded to the OECD iLibrary, a comprehensive digital repository of books, papers, and statistics from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Titles recently added include:

• National Accounts of OECD Countries, Financial Balance Sheets 2018
• National Accounts of OECD Countries, General Government Accounts 2018
• Main Economic Indicators (volume 2019, issue 1)
• OECD Quarterly International Trade Statistics (volume 2018, issue 2)
• Quarterly National Accounts (volume 2018, issue 3)

These volumes and more are accessible from the OECD iLibrary by WTO staff and WTO Library patrons.

Library acquisitions — January 2019

We are pleased to share our list of selected new acquisitions from January 2019. You can send your requests to Web.Librarian@wto.org.

The list is also available on Library’s website: http://intranet/__resources/library/_en/new_for_you_new_books.html.

For continuous updates on the latest trade news, don’t forget to check out the “Latest in trade” RSS feed: http://intranet/en/resources/library/library.htm

Kind regards,

Your WTO Library Team

 

 

 

Covers	Title, Authors/Editor details, WTO catalogue records email request links	Previews
	Evolving properties of intellectual capitalism : patents and innovations for growth and welfare / Ove Granstrand. WTO catalogue : http://wto.aquabrowser.com/?itemid=|WTO-Marc|1924458 Request: web.librarian@wto.org	Preview: http://bit.ly/2DqOrM4
	GATT disputes : 1948-1995 : volume 1 : overview and one-page case summaries / World Trade Organization. WTO catalogue : http://wto.aquabrowser.com/?itemid=|WTO-Marc|1927458 Request: web.librarian@wto.org	Full text: http://bit.ly/2WVUgKg
	GATT disputes : 1948-1995 : volume 2 : dispute settlement procedures / World Trade Organization. WTO catalogue : http://wto.aquabrowser.com/?itemid=|WTO-Marc|1927460 Request: web.librarian@wto.org	Full text: http://bit.ly/2BvL7iF
	Industrial policy and the World Trade Organization : between legal constraint and flexibilities / Sherzod Shadikhodjaev. WTO catalogue : http://wto.aquabrowser.com/?itemid=|WTO-Marc|1927415 Request: web.librarian@wto.org	Preview: http://bit.ly/2DqMdMG
	Intellectual property and the judiciary / edited by Christophe Geiger, Craig Allen Nard, Xavier Seuba. WTO catalogue : http://wto.aquabrowser.com/?itemid=|WTO-Marc|1927411 Request: web.librarian@wto.org	Preview: http://bit.ly/2BwRcv1
	Research handbook on the law of artificial intelligence / edited by Woodrow Barfield, Ugo Pagallo. WTO catalogue : http://wto.aquabrowser.com/?itemid=|WTO-Marc|1927299 Request: web.librarian@wto.org	Preview: http://bit.ly/2Soy2lE
	South Asian cooperation : issues old and new / edited by Paras Kharel. WTO catalogue : http://wto.aquabrowser.com/?itemid=|WTO-Marc|1927427 Request: web.librarian@wto.org	Preview: http://bit.ly/2Du535H
	Strategic survey 2018 : the annual assessment of geopolitics / International Institute for Strategic Studies. WTO catalogue : http://wto.aquabrowser.com/?itemid=|WTO-Marc|1927423 Request: web.librarian@wto.org	Preview: http://bit.ly/2BubnKj
	Understanding the policymaking process in developing countries / William Ascher. WTO catalogue : http://wto.aquabrowser.com/?itemid=|WTO-Marc|1927435 Request: web.librarian@wto.org	Preview: http://bit.ly/2SryVtP

 

EIU report on the effects of tariff hikes

Commissioned by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), as part of the ICC World Trade Agenda, an initiative in partnership with Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, ‘Aftershock: The pervasive effects of tariff hikes’ is a new report that examines ten areas where negative effects may be felt – from the environment to productivity to rent-seeking.

https://pages.eiu.com/Feb18PublicPolicyAftershockAsiaMKT_Aftershocklandingpage.html

Brexit explained: a brief and regularly-updated infographic introduction to Brexit

Information is Beautiful has prepared an introduction to Brexit and is regularly updating the infographic as new information is available and as the situation evolves.

Clarifying the structure of the European Union and giving an overview to the UK’s possible options for Brexit, this visualization can be a useful and quick guide to the situation behind the headlines and political discussions in news and media outlets.

A video explainer can be found at YouTube here: https://youtu.be/Yht_zE_mT7U

A more extensive and annotated visualization can be found on the Information is Beautiful, along with links to different sources for further information: https://informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/the-uks-brexit-options-in-the-eurozone-landscape-visualized/

Looking for more visualizations on a variety of subjects and topics? Explore further the Information is Beautiful website here: https://informationisbeautiful.net/