APEC members enjoy de facto integration: report

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-11-09 13:10

SINGAPORE: The impact of membership of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) on trade is comparable to that of a free trade agreement, even without a binding agreement, says a report released Monday by the APEC Secretariat.

The report's analysis reveals that APEC members trade with each other more than they do with other free trading agreement partners and much more with trading partners who are both members of the APEC and members of the World Trade Organization.

This, say analysts, demonstrates the high level of de facto integration between members of the APEC, even under non-binding arrangements.

After taking into account the usual factors that influence trade, APEC members are three times more likely to export to another member than to a non-member and two times more likely to import from another member than from a non-member.

Findings are further supported by a five-fold increase in trade within the APEC since its establishment in 1989 and the 67 percent share that intra-regional trade comprises of total APEC trade. Notably, this is a larger intra-regional share of trade than that in the European Union.

"This provides analytical evidence that the APEC achieves results," explains Philip Gaetjens, director of the APEC Policy Support Unit, the team responsible for the report.

"It shows that regional integration is strong and has prospered under a voluntary and non-binding approach to enhancing trade."

Member economies have virtually eliminated tariffs and continue to find ways to reduce trade barriers. The APEC has been exploring the possibility of a Free Trade Area in the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP).

The APEC Leaders Week kicked off in Singapore on Sunday. The theme of this year's APEC Singapore meetings is "Sustaining Growth, Connecting the Region".

It is expected that when leaders of the 21 APEC members meet on November 14-15, they will focus on how to secure an economic recovery and fight trade protectionism.

APEC's 21 member economies are home to more than 2.7 billion people and represent approximately 54 percent of world GDP and 44 percent of world trade.