Agricultural trade : planting the seeds of regional liberalization in Asia

Abstract

This publication brings together papers prepared for the "Regional Agricultural Trade Liberalization" project, which was implemented by the Asia-Pacific Research and Training Network on Trade (ARTNeT) researchers between May 2005 and December 2006. The project explored the potential for agricultural trade opportunities at the regional level through preferential trade agreements (PTAs), at a time when the number of PTAs globally and in the ESCAP region has been increasing sharply. The objectives of the study were: (a) to map and analyse existing trade agreements in the region and their product coverage, particularly agricultural products, as well as associated tariff and non-tariff barriers; and (b) to derive implications and recommendations/guidelines for trade policy and negotiations. Research in this area was endorsed by the participants at the First ARTNeT Consultative Meeting of Policymakers and Research Institutions on 29 October 2004.