AbstractsBusiness Management & Administration

Trade, productivity and welfare effects of regional integration in South Asia

by Amirul Islam




Institution: Curtin University of Technology
Department: Economics and Finance, Curtin Business School
Year: 2014
Record ID: 1051516
Full text PDF: http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=199901&local_base=gen01-era02


Abstract

The thesis examines the impacts of the South Asian free trade agreement (SAFTA) on trade, productivity, and welfare of the member countries. When theoretically relevant variables are controlled for, it is found that the agreement is not effective in creating intra-regional trade flows and improving productivity of the region. India and Nepal gain welfare in the long run, while the others lose. Deeper integration, embracing factor flows, is required to make the agreement fruitful.