Options for Global Trade Reform A View from the Asia-Pacific

Despite the decision of the WTO members to launch a new round of negotiations at their Doha Ministerial in November 2001, developing countries continue to have very real concerns on a number of key issues. The successful completion of the Doha trade round and the realization of the goals of its Development Agenda represent a major challenge for both the developed and the developing world. The primary aim of this volume is to improve understanding of the issues, the objectives of policy and the options for trade policy reform particularly as they impact on the Asia-Pacific region. A team of authors from developing and developed countries in the Asia-Pacific identify ways in which progress might be made on the key negotiating topics, including market access and related issues in agriculture, non-agriculture merchandise and in trade in services.

List of figures; List of tables; List of abbreviations and acronyms; List of contributors; 1. An overview: options for global trade reform - a view from the Asia-Pacific Will Martin and Mari Pangestu; 2. Agriculture and the Doha Development Agenda Kym Anderson, Erwidodo, Tubagus Feridhanusetyawan and Anna Strutt; 3. Liberalizing trade in manufactures Florian A. Alburo; 4. Returning textiles and clothing to GATT disciplines Nattapong Thongpakde and Wisarn Pupphavesa; 5. Approaches to further liberalization of trade in services Patrick Low and Aaditya Mattoo; 6. Liberalization of air transport services Christopher Findlay and Deunden Nikomborirak; 7. Liberalization of maritime transport services Chia Lin Sien, Lloyd C. Onyirimba and George S. Akpan; 8. International trade in telecoms services Ma. Joy V. Abrenica and Tony Warren; 9. East Asia and options for negotiations on investment Bijit Bora, Chia Siow Yue, Nick Freeman and Shujiro Urata; 10. Competition policy, developing countries, and the World Trade Organization Kerrin M. Vautier, Peter Lloyd and Ing-Wen Tsai; 11. The long and winding road to the Government Procurement Agreement: Korea's accession experience Inbom Choi; 12. Trade facilitation in the World Trade Organization: Singapore to Doha and beyond Yuen Pau Woo; 13. Trade, the environment and labour: text, institutions and context Simon S. C. Tay; Index.

In November 2001 the members of the World Trade Organization approved the start of new trade talks at the WTO ministerial meeting in Doha. These trade talks will have profound implications for economic growth in the developed and developing world. Here a team of authors from developing and developed countries in the Asia-Pacific identify ways in which progress might be made on the key negotiating topics.

Will Martin is Lead Economist of the Development Research Group at the World Bank, Washington DC.
Mari Pangestu is Director of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Jakarta, Indonesia.