Publication:
What Does Regional Trade in South Asia Reveal about Future Trade Integration? Some Empirical Evidence

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dc.contributor.authorPitigala, Nihal
dc.date.accessioned2012-06-25T21:19:47Z
dc.date.available2012-06-25T21:19:47Z
dc.date.issued2005-02
dc.description.abstractIn 1995 the seven South Asian countries-Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka-initiated a multilateral framework for regionwide integration under the South Asian Preferential Trade Agreement (SAPTA). In a recent initiative, members agreed that SAPTA would begin the transformation into a South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) by the beginning of 2006, with full implementation completed between 2009 and 2013. The impetus toward regional preferential trading arrangements and greater regional economic integration raises many important issues, both for the South Asian region as a whole and for the individual countries. The author uses the natural trading partners hypothesis as the empirical criterion to assess the potential success of a South Asian trading bloc. Using various definitions of the natural trading partner hypothesis-based on trade volume, geographic proximity, and the complementarity approaches-the author demonstrates that the South Asian countries can be characterized only moderately as natural trading partners. This characterization is, however, largely a consequence of previous impediments to trade among regional members. The author further demonstrates through additional statistical measures-including revealed comparative advantage indices, trade concentration, and trade competition profiles-that the trade structures that have evolved among the South Asian Countries may not facilitate a rapid increase in intra-regional trade. But there is evidence that previous unilateral trade liberalization efforts in the South Asian countries have already had a positive impact in boosting both intra- and extra-regional trade. Continuing the process of unilateral liberalization, in parallel with regional integration, would aid the South Asian countries to continue to diversify their still narrow export bases and potentially evolve new comparative advantages and complementarities that could facilitate the successful implementation of SAFTA.en
dc.identifierhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2005/02/5695807/regional-trade-south-asia-reveal-future-trade-integration-some-empirical-evidence
dc.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-3497
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10986/8972
dc.languageEnglish
dc.publisherWorld Bank, Washington, DC
dc.relation.ispartofseriesPolicy Research Working Paper; No. 3497
dc.rightsCC BY 3.0 IGO
dc.rights.holderWorld Bank
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/igo/
dc.subjectABSOLUTE TERMS
dc.subjectACCOUNTING
dc.subjectAGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
dc.subjectAGRICULTURE
dc.subjectAPPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY
dc.subjectBALANCE OF PAYMENTS
dc.subjectBILATERAL AGREEMENTS
dc.subjectBILATERAL TRADE
dc.subjectCERTAIN EXTENT
dc.subjectCOMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE
dc.subjectCOMPARATIVE ADVANTAGES
dc.subjectCOMPETITIVENESS
dc.subjectCURRENCY
dc.subjectDEREGULATION
dc.subjectDIRECT INVESTMENT
dc.subjectDOMESTIC PRICES
dc.subjectDOMESTIC SUPPLY
dc.subjectECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
dc.subjectECONOMIC INTEGRATION
dc.subjectECONOMIC TRENDS
dc.subjectECONOMISTS
dc.subjectEMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
dc.subjectEXCHANGE RATE
dc.subjectEXCHANGE RATES
dc.subjectEXPORT EARNINGS
dc.subjectEXPORT GROWTH
dc.subjectEXPORTING COUNTRY
dc.subjectEXPORTS
dc.subjectFISH
dc.subjectFOOD PRODUCTS
dc.subjectFREE TRADE
dc.subjectFREE TRADE AGREEMENT
dc.subjectFREE TRADE AGREEMENTS
dc.subjectFREE TRADE AREA
dc.subjectFUELS
dc.subjectGDP
dc.subjectIMPORT DEMAND
dc.subjectIMPORTS
dc.subjectINDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS
dc.subjectINTERNATIONAL TRADE
dc.subjectINTRA-REGIONAL TRADE
dc.subjectMANUFACTURED GOODS
dc.subjectMARGINS
dc.subjectMFA
dc.subjectMULTILATERAL FRAMEWORK
dc.subjectNEWLY INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRIES
dc.subjectNON-TARIFF BARRIERS
dc.subjectOIL
dc.subjectPREFERENTIAL TRADE
dc.subjectPREFERENTIAL TRADE AGREEMENT
dc.subjectPREFERENTIAL TRADING ARRANGEMENTS
dc.subjectQUOTAS
dc.subjectREGIONAL AGREEMENT
dc.subjectREGIONAL AGREEMENTS
dc.subjectREGIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
dc.subjectREGIONAL INTEGRATION
dc.subjectREGIONAL SOURCES
dc.subjectREGIONAL TRADE
dc.subjectREGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENT
dc.subjectREGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS
dc.subjectREGIONAL TRADE ARRANGEMENT
dc.subjectREGIONAL TRADING ARRANGEMENTS
dc.subjectSUBSTITUTION
dc.subjectTARIFF BARRIERS
dc.subjectTARIFF PREFERENCES
dc.subjectTRADE AGREEMENTS
dc.subjectTRADE BLOCS
dc.subjectTRADE DIVERSION
dc.subjectTRADE FLOWS
dc.subjectTRADE LIBERALIZATION
dc.subjectTRADE PATTERNS
dc.subjectTRADE POLICIES
dc.subjectTRADE POLICY
dc.subjectTRADE POLICY REFORMS
dc.subjectTRADE REFORMS
dc.subjectTRADE STRUCTURE
dc.subjectTRADE VOLUME
dc.subjectTRADING PARTNERS
dc.subjectTRANSACTION COSTS
dc.subjectTRANSPORT COSTS
dc.subjectWELFARE EFFECTS
dc.subjectWORLD TRADE
dc.subjectWORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
dc.subjectWTO
dc.titleWhat Does Regional Trade in South Asia Reveal about Future Trade Integration? Some Empirical Evidenceen
dspace.entity.typePublication
okr.crossref.titleWhat Does Regional Trade in South Asia Reveal about Future Trade Integration? Some Empirical Evidence
okr.date.doiregistration2025-04-10T09:44:14.124139Z
okr.doctypePublications & Research::Policy Research Working Paper
okr.doctypePublications & Research
okr.docurlhttp://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2005/02/5695807/regional-trade-south-asia-reveal-future-trade-integration-some-empirical-evidence
okr.globalpracticeTrade and Competitiveness
okr.guid456701468777914071
okr.identifier.doi10.1596/1813-9450-3497
okr.identifier.externaldocumentum000012009_20050329115252
okr.identifier.internaldocumentum5695807
okr.identifier.reportWPS3497
okr.language.supporteden
okr.pdfurlhttp://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2005/03/29/000012009_20050329115252/Rendered/PDF/wps3497.pdfen
okr.region.administrativeSouth Asia
okr.topicInternational Economics and Trade::Trade and Regional Integration
okr.topicInternational Economics and Trade::Free Trade
okr.topicInternational Economics and Trade::Trade Policy
okr.topicEconomic Theory and Research
okr.topicEnvironmental Economics and Policies
okr.unitDevelopment Research Group (DECRG)
okr.volume1 of 1
relation.isSeriesOfPublication26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
relation.isSeriesOfPublication.latestForDiscovery26e071dc-b0bf-409c-b982-df2970295c87
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