Assessing Trade Friendliness of Logistics Services in ASEAN

Abstract

Free trade agreements have been employed, either unilaterally or as a bloc, as an instrument to overcome the inefficiencies in trade brought about by the prevailing barriers and regulatory measures. During their 10th Summit, the leaders of ASEAN agreed to integrate their priority sectors with a vision to developing an ASEAN economic community whereby there would be a free flow of goods, services, investment and a freer flow of capital, equitable economic development, and reduced poverty and socio-economic disparities. This market would have no price discrimination for commodities and against foreign goods, services, capital, and labor. The aim of this chapter is to assess the current state of the cross-border trade in logistics services among ASEAN. The extent of the ease of cross-border trade is measured in terms of trade friendliness. The trade friendliness is a measure of the openness of ASEAN towards conducting free cross-border trade.