Trade and Regional Integration in South Asia: A Tribute to Saman Kelegama (South Asia Economic and Policy Studies)

✍ Scribed by Selim Raihan (editor), Prabir De (editor)

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 2020
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 321
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Gathering contributions from leading academics and international trade experts from South Asia, this book is dedicated to the late Dr. Saman Kelegma, whose untimely death in June 2017 left a huge void in the field of regional economic cooperation. Keeping in mind his enduring legacy regarding regional cooperation in South Asia, it covers issues related to the challenges of deeper regional integration in South Asia and proposes strategies to address these challenges.

It also offers an up-to-date, rigorous academic analysis of various issues related to low intra-regional trade in South Asia; prevalence of tariff barriers; incidence of a range of non-tariff measures; challenges of weak-trade-related infrastructure and the need for trade facilitation; the political economics of regional integration, highlighting how bilateral political relations affect the integration process; low level of intra-regional investment; South Asia’s pattern of integration with the global and regional value chains; pattern and dominance of informal trade; and alternative regional integration initiatives in South Asia, such as the bilateral, regional, and sub-regional trade agreements within and countries outside this region.

Intended primarily for researchers and students of international trade, and policymakers from South Asia and beyond, the book is also a valuable supplementary reference resource for researchers and students. Furthermore, the pragmatic analysis of the policy options presented offers guidance for policymakers in South Asia wanting to implement effective policies and strategies for deeper regional integration.

✦ Table of Contents

Preface
Contents
About the Editors
1 Sustaining South Asia’s Regional Integration Process
1 Introduction
2 Why Is Low Integration in South Asia?
3 In Pursuit of a ‘South Asian Development Model’
4 Is Trade Policy in South Asia in the Right Direction?
5 Political Economy of Regional Integration: Where Do We Stand in South Asia?
6 South Asia’s Greater Integration in Asia
7 Conclusion
References
2 Bay of Bengal Integration: The New Agenda
1 Introduction
2 Scope for New Cooperation
3 Proposals to Strengthen the BIMSTEC Integration
3.1 Trade and Investment
3.2 Regional Connectivity
3.3 Energy Cooperation
3.4 People-to-People Connectivity
3.5 Dealing Non-traditional Security Threats
3.6 Disaster Management and Emergency Response
3.7 Blue Economy Approach
4 Concluding Remarks
Appendix 1
References
3 Three Decades of SAARC and the Unfinished Agenda of Regional Integration
1 Introduction
2 Regional Integration
3 SAFTA: Trade Liberalization Programme (TLP)
4 Sensitive Lists
5 Rules of Origin
6 Non-Tariff and Para-Tariff Barriers
7 Mechanism for Compensation of Revenue Loss
8 Technical Assistance for LDCs
9 Other Areas
10 SAARC Agreement on Trade in Services (SATIS)
11 Intra-SAARC Trade
12 Way Ahead
4 Harnessing the Potential of Regional Value Chains for Sustainable Development in Southern Asia: Towards a South Asia Comprehensive Economic Partnership (SACEP)
1 Introduction
2 Patterns of Trade in South Asia and Potential for Regional Integration
3 Potential of Regional Economic Integration in Southern Asia
4 Challenges to Intraregional Trade in South Asia
5 Harnessing the Potential of Regional Value Chains in South Asia
6 SAARC and Beyond: South Asia and Broader Regionalism in the Asia-Pacific
7 Concluding Remarks
References
5 Political Economy of Policymaking: South Asia in Perspective
1 Introduction
2 Drivers of Policy Change
3 Policy Reform in South Asia
4 South Asia’s Policy Paralysis: Institutional and Governance Gaps
5 Conclusion
References
6 India in Global Production Network Trade: Patterns and Policy Implications
1 Introduction
2 Patterns of Engagement in GPN Trade in South Asia
3 Patterns of India’s GPN Trade with East Asia
4 Policy Constraints to India’s Greater Engagement in GPN Trade with East Asia
5 Conclusions
References
7 Beyond Commodities: India-Latin America Supply Chain Trade
1 Introduction
2 Mapping Patterns of GSC Trade
3 Assessing National Business Environments
3.1 Trade and Investment Regulations
3.2 Behind-the-Border Regulations
3.3 Trade Infrastructure and Logistics
3.4 Labour Productivity
4 Role of Trade Diplomacy and FTAs
5 Conclusions
References
8 Benefits of Cooperating with Big Neighbors: The Case of Bangladesh and India
1 Introduction
2 Benefits Through Trade
3 Benefits Through Investment
4 Benefits Through Energy Cooperation
5 Benefits Through Connectivity
6 Conclusion
Appendix
References
9 Making FTAs as an Effective Driver of Regional Integration: Sri Lankan Experience
1 Introduction
2 Sri Lankan FTAs
3 The Basics for Signing FTAs
4 Strengthening Trade and Investment Nexus
5 Trade Negotiation Process
6 Negotiating Trade in Services
7 Negotiation Strategy
8 Sensitive or Negative List
9 Trade-Cost Adjustment Program
10 Institutional Mechanism for Trade Negotiations
11 Conclusion
References
10 Supporting Sri Lanka’s Free Trade Agreements
1 Introduction
2 Sri Lanka’s Offensive and Defensive Interests in FTAs
2.1 Sri Lanka’s Tariff Structure
2.2 FTA Assessment: Methodology
3 Results of Tariff Simulations
3.1 Aggregate Results
3.2 Simulation Results at HS 2-Digit Level: Likely Changes in Sri Lanka’s Imports and Exports Post-FTAs
4 Identification of Sri Lanka’s New Products for Exports to China, India and Singapore
4.1 New Products for Exports to China
4.2 New Products for Exports to India
4.3 New Products for Exports to Singapore
5 Sri Lanka’s Export Competitiveness in Services
5.1 Comparative Export Performance (CEP) Index
5.2 Bilateral RCA Indices
5.3 Trade Complementarity Index: (TCI)
6 Korea-Singapore FTA—A Success Story in Services FTA
7 Conclusion
11 Facilitating Trade Between India and Sri Lanka
1 Introduction
2 India-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement (ISFTA)
3 Trade and Investment Between India and Sri Lanka
3.1 India-Sri Lanka Trade Prior to the ISFTA
3.2 India-Sri Lanka Trade Post-ISFTA
3.3 Investments Between India and Sri Lanka
4 Methodology
5 Trade Facilitation in India and Sri Lanka and the ISFTA
5.1 Trade Logistics Performance of Sri Lanka and India
6 Trade Facilitation in the ISFTA and Other Agreements of India and Sri Lanka
7 Findings
7.1 Trade Facilitation Issues Faced at the Sri Lankan End in Exporting to India
7.2 Issues Faced at the Indian End When Exporting from Sri Lanka
8 Policy Recommendations
References
12 Bilateral FTAs for Bangladesh: Identifying the ‘Natural Partners’
1 Introduction
2 Framework of the Study
2.1 Rationale for Bilateral FTA Between Heterogeneous Economies
2.2 Policy Guidelines of Bangladesh for Bilateral FTAs
3 Objective and Methodology of the Study
4 An Overview of Bilateral Trade of Bangladesh: Experience with Top 50 Countries
5 Identifying the Natural Partners for Bilateral FTAs: Product-Wise and Market-Wise Analysis
5.1 Export Destinations of Bangladesh’s Major Products
5.2 Import of Bangladesh
5.3 Identifying ‘Natural Partners’ for FTA
5.4 Analysis of ‘Trade Diversion’ Effect
6 Concluding Remarks: Bangladesh’s Strategies with Regard to Bilateral FTAs
References
13 Informality in Bangladesh’s Agricultural Trade with SAARC: Addressing the Emerging Concerns
1 Introduction
2 Methodology and Data
3 Misinvoicing in Agricultural Trade
4 Bangladesh’s Informal Trade with SAARC Countries
4.1 Informal Trade in Agricultural Inputs, Products, Fruits and Spices
4.2 Informal Cattle Trade
4.3 A Border Haats as Opportunities to Reduce Informal Agricultural Trade
5 Recommendations
5.1 Institutional and Policy Initiatives
5.2 Standardisation and Certification
5.3 Infrastructure
5.4 Data Needs
6 Concluding Remarks
Annex: Detailed Methodology for Estimating Informal Agricultural Trade
Methodology: Estimation of Agricultural Trade Misinvoicing
Methodology and assumption: Estimation of Informal Cattle Trade
References
14 Informal Trade in the SAARC Region
1 Introduction
2 What Is Informal Trade?
3 Existing Evidence on Informal Trade in SAARC
4 Methodology and Estimates of Informal Trade
5 Commodity Composition of Informal Trade
6 Factors Influencing Informal Exports
7 Concluding Remarks
References
15 A Bay of Bengal Digital Ecosystem
1 Introduction
2 Conceptualising the Development of Internet Connectivity
3 The Unique Nature of Supply and Demand of the Internet
4 Sub-regional Overview of Internet Connectivity
5 Internet Infrastructure in the Bay of Bengal Region
5.1 Submarine Cables
5.2 Internet Exchange Points (IXPs)
6 The Benefits of E-Governance on a Sub-regional Level
7 A Bay of Bengal Digital Ecosystem
References
16 Harnessing the Potential of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in South Asia
1 Introduction
2 Framework for Analysis
2.1 Accessibility
2.2 Affordability
2.3 Application
3 Towards a More Nuanced Approach
3.1 Artificial Intelligence
3.2 Drones
3.3 Additive Manufacturing
3.4 Blockchain
4 Mapping Opportunities in South Asia
5 Conclusion and Agenda for Future Research
References