Non-Tariff Measures in ASEAN

Lili Yan Ing, Santiago Fernandez de Cordoba and Olivier Cadot

in Books from Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)

Abstract: While tariffs have been reduced, the number of non-tariff measures (NTMs) is increasing, and is often blamed as one source of the lack of integration in ASEAN. Unlike tariffs which could be reduced to the zero level, it is hard to see a world without NTMs as they can play a role of check and balance of a quality of goods. A country with a relatively higher number of NTMs does not mean it is more protectionist that others. A country with relatively higher number of NTM coverage does not mean it will have a relatively lower trade compared to the others. However, not all NTMs are benign; some NTMs could complicate business but not achieve the main goals. To improve the trade environment and make NTMs work for the common good, ASEAN should break from the 'trade negotiation' approach and strive instead for three approaches: (i) regional transparency, (ii) further cooperation in conformity assessment procedures, and (iii) dynamic disciplines. Such dynamic deep integration would largely eliminate NTMs that are highly visible yet riddled with political friction, are poorly designed, or are captured by special interests. This report provides the most comprehensive data and descriptive analyses on NTMs in the 10 ASEAN countries--Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam--based on the recently developed 2015 ASEAN-ERIA-UNCTAD database. This is ASEAN's initiative, as it takes the lead to improve transparency of their trade regulations. The report is available at ERIA and UNCTAD's website. The NTM database is publicly available at http://asean.i-tip.org and the national trade repository.

Date: Written 2016-04 Originally published 2016-04.
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.eria.org/uploads/media/RPR_FY2015_No.1.pdf

Chapters in this book:

Ch 1 Collecting and Classifying Non-tariff Measures in ASEAN

Santiago Fernandez de Cordoba, Maxim Gubarev, Michelle Ayu Chinta Kristy and Chi Le Ngo

Ch 2 Non-Tariff Measures in ASEAN: A Simple Proposal

Lili Yan Ing, Olivier Cadot, Muhammad Rizqy Anandhika and Shujiro Urata

Ch 3 Classification of Non-tariff Measures in Brunei Darussalam

Christina Ruth Elisabeth

Ch 4 Classification of Non-tariff Measures in Cambodia

Chap Sotharith, C. Ruth Elisabeth L. Tobing and Anika Widiana

Ch 5 Indonesia’s Non-tariff Measures: An Overview

Ernawati Munadi

Ch 6 Non-tariff Measures in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Amphaphone Sayasenh

Ch 7 Non-tariff Measures in Malaysia

Evelyn Devadason, V.G.R. Chandran and Tuck Cheong Tang

Ch 8 Report on Non-tariff Measures in Myanmar

Cho Cho Thein and Zin Zin Naing

Ch 9 An Inventory of Non-tariff Measures in the Philippines

Loreli C. de Dios

Ch 10 Non-tariff Measures in Singapore

Hank Lim, Anika Widiana and Bernard Aw

Ch 11 Non-tariff Measures in Thailand

Chedtha Intaravitak

Ch 12 Non-tariff Measures in Viet Nam

Vo Tri Thanh, Nguyen Anh Duong and Tran Binh Minh

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:era:eriabk:2015-rpr-01

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