Trade Facilitation and Regional Cooperation in Asia

This timely book collects empirical analyses and case studies to clarify issues and draw policy recommendations for facilitating greater regional trade through increased cooperation. Asia's rapid development has been heavily dependent on markets external to the region. However, given the unlikely timely recovery of the United States or Europe there is an urgent need to develop domestic and regional markets. While greater integration has long been a regional goal, its importance has never been more pressing. To facilitate trade and promote growth and regional integration, and to counteract declining markets in other regions, Asian countries have announced large expenditures for developing infrastructure. Thus, a look at how investment in regional infrastructure promotes and supports interregional trade growth has never been timelier. While the focus is on informing policy making in Asia, the findings also have relevance for other regions. The detailed studies in this book will be of particular interest to academic economists, policymakers, and the broader development community.