ISDS Case Map
ASEAN
Jayant Menon discusses the trade policy challenges faced by Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam (CLMV)—the newest members of ASEAN. The paper concludes that the multilateralised single-rate system is a better alternative to the multiple-rate system and thus suggests that CLMV countries should follow the original ASEAN members and multilateralize their CEPT tariff preferences. It encourages both old and new members to do the same, especially in the context of proliferating ASEAN+1 FTAs
This move reflects a deep concern among some member countries that ASEAN could be sidelined by the US-backed Trans-Pacific Partnership that has attracted attention even as it is being negotiated, especially if Japan decides to come on board, ASEAN official sources said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will push for the conclusion of a free-trade agreement between the EU and Vietnam, which is of great interest to German firms, during her visit to the Asian country this week.
The India-Asean Free Trade Agreement, which came into effect from January 2010, has been a mixed bag so far. While more opportunities have opened up for Indian industries, in terms of greater market access for their products in the Asean region, the duty reduction on imports from Asean countries, in turn, has hit India’s domestic market.
Pakistan expects to seal Free Trade Agreement (FTAs) with two promising regional groupings to boost the country’s trade performance, Secretary Commerce, Zafar Mahmood has said. “Pakistan is to sign the agreements with ASEAN and the Gulf Cooperation Council,” he said in an interview here following the conclusion of Pakistan Malaysia Business Forum and the meeting of Joint Review Committee on FTA
Negotiation for an EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (EUSFTA) is progressing well.
The Philippines has refused to make any meaningful offer to open up its services market to Indian professionals, thus playing the spoilsport in the recent India-Asean services negotiations in Indonesia.
Trade ministers from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and India’s minister of commerce and industry, Anand Sharma, meet this week to push the much-awaited services trade deal, that got stuck over the issue of movement of professionals.
After negotiating with Singapore on economic partnership, Taiwan now studies similar talks with Indonesia to sign free trade agreement (FTA) to be member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
China seems to be the manufacturing base that is benefiting the most from the free-trade agreement with Asean countries, as the value of exports from China to Asean in three major industries have increased significantly over the past decade, according to the Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI).
