This paper examines the evolution of global merchandise trade, between 2010 and 2022, assessing the share of imports subject to regional trade agreements (RTAs). A key question for us is whether the share of merchandise trade subject to preferences has kept pace with the proliferation in RTAs....

The Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) principle has historically been instrumental in promoting stability and equitable trade conditions. In recent decades there has been a rise in bilateral and regional trade agreements, which deviate from the MFN principle in providing more favourable tariff...

This study analyses the impact of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) using a recursively dynamic global computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, MAGNET. The study considers two policy measures: cuts in bilateral...

This Perspective argues that the ASEAN-led RCEP agreement and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific have created significant momentum for ASEAN to further reinforce its central role in advancing Asia-Pacific economic integration.

By utilizing panel statistics of 1520 country pairs and economic integration agreements (EIAs) from 2007 to 2017, this paper presents evidence of the effect of EIAs on export margins, i.e., both extensive (firms) and intensive margins (average exports per firm). In doing so, this work adds...

How does dismantling deep integration affect international trade? This paper provides new evidence on the consequences of disintegration by estimating the impact of Brexit on goods trade by UK firms. The UK’s exit from the EU’s single market and customs union in January 2021 led to an...

Migration is deeply ingrained in the lives and livelihoods of people in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The region witnesses three key migration patterns: labour migration, mixed migration, and displacement. Migration in the region in 2021-2022 was influenced by the pull of...

Income convergence refers to the idea that poor countries grow more quickly than rich ones and catch up in terms of per capita income; as a result, the per capita income of integrated nations eventually converges. Beta convergence suggests that less developed nations grow more quickly than more...

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is considered as one of the successful regional cooperations and has played a remarkable role in regional, and potentially global, order through its principles of consensus, non-interference, and peaceful resolution of conflicts, providing platform for...

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted global trade, posing challenges for regional trade agreements such as the Pacific Alliance, comprising Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. This study investigates the Pacific Alliance's impact on trade creation and diversion during the...

Cambodia's export-driven growth has resulted in increased freight demand. Containerized import and export cargo movement has increased more than five-fold over the past 12 years. By 2030, it is expected that trade volumes moving along highways and through ports, airports, and warehouses will...

The Blue Economy (BE), which is recognised by the African Union (AU) as the "new frontier of African Renaissance," is one of the keys to the door to a sustainable African continent. With its vast maritime zone totalling about 13 million square kilometres, Africa is richly endowed with bountiful...

This study employs the economy-wide model DEMETRA to provide a detailed characterisation of the impacts of the African Continental Free Trade Area on the Ghanaian economy from 2020 to 2035 and how these economy-wide impacts will affect food consumption and affordability. It considers two...

Geoeconomic fragmentation is on the rise amidst heightened geopolitical tensions and a surge in inward-looking policies to strengthen economic and national security. Focusing on trade and capital flows, this paper takes a closer look at the implications of geoeconomic fragmentation for the...

Purpose - While the industry-education integration has achieved significant results, it also faces many prominent problems. The current problems include some projects prioritizing research and development over education, insufficient breadth and depth of cooperation and a lack of quality...

Against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine (R-U) conflict, this paper investigates the convergence process of the bond market in East Asia from 2010 to 2024, focusing on the impact of the R-U crisis on bond yield convergence. Our findings show convergence toward both benchmarks, with an...

In this paper, we examine whether, and if so how, an economy's deliberate policy choices of regional cooperation and integration influence underlying determinants of economic growth. Building on models of growth and innovation, we analyze the role of regional integration on labor productivity...

The project objective is to assess CSO participation in the EU-SADC EPA signed in 2016 and offer recommendations to enhance CSO roles. The EPA focuses on trade and economic cooperation. Despite its potential, CSO involvement in the SADC region has been minimal. As a result of the inception...

The project objective is to assess CSO participation in the EU-SADC EPA signed in 2016 and offer recommendations to enhance CSO roles. The EPA focuses on trade and economic cooperation. Despite its potential, CSO involvement in the SADC region has been minimal. As a result of the inception...

Living in a cross-border region is still a source of challenges today. Nine stories are presented in this publication to showcase the realities of people experiencing border obstacles and ways to facilitate cross-border solutions throughout Europe.