Catalog

	Table of Contents
p. 60 of 81 BACK | NEXT I. Developing Asia and the World II. Economic Trends and Prospects in Developing Asia III. Preferential Trade Agreements in Asia and the Pacific Overview Trends in Trade and the Expansion of PTAs: Trends in World and Asian Trade Flows Diversity in of PTAs Origins of PTAs Institutional Characteristics of PTAs PTAs as Mechanisms for Regional Cooperation Asia and Pacific PTAs and the World Trade Organization Income Characteristics of PTAs Overlapping Memberships in PTAs and Multilateral Trading Arrangements The Economic and Broader Effects of PTAS: Theoretical Arguments Effects of PTAs on Trade in Asia and the Pacific: Some Evidence Conclusions References

Asian Development Outlook 2002 : III. Preferential Trade Agreements in Asia and the Pacific

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Diversity of PTAs

In themselves, PTAs are not necessarily either beneficial or harmful, nor are they unavoidable stumbling blocks on the way to the eventual achievement of global free trade. While many of the participants in the debate over PTAs lump them together as either “good” or “bad,” it is important for policy purposes to look more carefully at the details of the existing arrangements before making any recommendations. This section describes the diversity of PTAs and considers the distinct characteristics of PTAs in terms of their likely economic and broader effects on members and nonmembers alike.

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