Serious efforts at economic integration among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members started only in 1992. Initial obstacles included the widespread pursuit of import substitution policies of industrialization, the small extent of intra-ASEAN trade, and the wide differences...

Serious efforts at economic integration among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members started only in 1992. Initial obstacles included the widespread pursuit of import substitution policies of industrialization, the small extent of intra-ASEAN trade, and the wide differences...

This paper examines the recent emergence of mega–free trade agreements, namely, the Asian-centric Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. In a comparative context it discusses the rationale for...

Singapore has one of the most open economies in Asia in terms of trade, capital inflows, and foreign labor inflows. The foreign labor policy is dual track, with measures to attract foreign talent and control the inflow of low-skilled labor through work permits and levies and dependency ceilings....

The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) was set up in 2003 with the objectives of creating a single market and production base, enhancing equitable economic development as well as facilitating the integration into the global economy. The AEC involves liberalization and facilitation of trade in goods,...

This overview paper analyses some key global and regional challenges to East Asia’s continuing economic ascent. On the global front are the weakened growth engines of USEU- Japan, threats to the open multilateral trading system from large trade imbalances and rise of protectionism,...

Movements of skilled labour in ASEAN have been largely from the lower income labour surplus economies to the higher income labour deficit economies in response to employment and remuneration differentials. The AEC Blueprint includes the objective of free flow of skilled labour to facilitate...