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The determinants of FTA use in Southeast Asia: A firm-level analysis

Ganeshan Wignaraja

Journal of Asian Economics, 2014, vol. 35, issue C, 32-45

Abstract: The spread of free trade agreements (FTAs) in Southeast Asia has ignited a debate about their impact on enterprises including the business costs from the Asian ‘noodle bowl’ effect. This paper undertakes a comparative and firm-level analysis of the determinants of FTA use in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. The likelihood of firms using important ASEAN+1 FTAs (e.g. the ASEAN-China FTA, the ASEAN-Japan FTA and ASEAN-Korea FTA) is positively associated with acquiring knowledge about FTAs, building technological capabilities, and membership in industrial clusters. Non-use of FTAs is explained by a lack of information about FTAs and the absence of FTAs with major trading partners. Key policy implications are the need to improve business support for FTAs, to conclude FTAs with major trading partners, and to create a database on FTA preference use.

Keywords: ASEAN; Business use of free trade agreements; Asian noodle bowl effect; Asian regional economic integration; Technological capabilities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: F13 F14 F15 O31 O32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:asieco:v:35:y:2014:i:c:p:32-45

DOI: 10.1016/j.asieco.2014.10.002

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