Bilateral Trade Agreements in the Asia-Pacific: Origins, Evolution, and Implications

by Aggarwal; Vinod

• ISBN13: 9780415702096
• ISBN10: 0415702097
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-03-06
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

The Asia-Pacific region has witnessed a rapid rise in bilateral preferential trade agreements at the beginning of the twenty-first century. This trend could have potentially dramatic effects on the trading patterns of countries in the transpacific region and beyond. Some argue that these accords will spur multilateral negotiations, while others believe that they will irreparably damage the trading system. Bilateral Trade Agreements in the Asia-Pacific examines the underlying political and economic factors driving these accords, based on a novel theoretical framework. Experts then provide overviews of political and economic trends in the region as well as detailed analysis of the trade strategies of Japan, China, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States, and Mexico. By systematically evaluating and assessing the driving forces underlying the turn to bilateral trade agreements in the Asia-Pacific, this book provides the first comprehensive analysis of this crucialphenomenon. Growing numbers of countries both in the region and elsewhere in the world are now considering further negotiation of bilateral trade accords. Understanding how these arrangements will fit or conflict with existing institutions in the Asia-Pacific and the WTO makes this book imperative reading for policymakers and scholars. This book is imperative reading for policymakers and scholars, and will prove an invaluable resource for students of Asian Studies, politics, economics and management especially those interested in international trade, bilateral trade agreements, political economy, business strategy and trade.

Table of Contents

Figures	p. vii
Tables	p. viii
Contributors	p. xi
Preface	p. xii
Abbreviations	p. xv
Theoretical framework and economic overview	p. 1
Bilateral trade agreements in the Asia-Pacific	p. 3
The political economy of the new Asia-Pacific bilateralism: benign, banal, or simply bad?	p. 27
Bilateralism in the Asia-Pacific: an economic overview	p. 50
Case studies	p. 73
Japan: a new move toward bilateral trade agreements	p. 75
US trade arrangements in the Asia-Pacific	p. 95
Chinese trade bilateralism: politics still in command	p. 117
From multilateralism to bilateralism? a shift in South Korea's trade strategy	p. 140
Who rules the international economy? Taiwan's daunting attempts at bilateralism	p. 160
Singapore trade bilateralism: a two track strategy	p. 184
Why countries are so eager to establish bilateral free trade agreements: a case study of Thailand	p. 206
The reluctant bilateralist: Malaysia's new trade strategy	p. 232
Free trade beyond NAFTA: the economic and institutional rationale for Mexico's bilateral trade agenda	p. 253
Conclusion	p. 277
The evolution and implications of bilateral trade agreements in the Asia-Pacific	p. 279
Index	p. 300
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