Trade Policy Issues in Asian Development (Routledge Studies in the Growth Economies of Asia)

This study examines issues of trade policy in the light of the experience of developing Asian economies. Case studies highlight rapidly unfolding issues in trade and development, with reference to Sri Lanka, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. The issues explored include trade liberalization and industrial adjustment, employment and equity outcomes of export-oriented industrialization, the impact of structural adjustment reforms on savings and investment, the role of foreign direct investment in export expansion, problems involved in the use of inter-industry linkages as policy criteria under export-oriented industrialization and the role of world market conditions in determining export success. Prema-chandra Athukorala offers an overview of the evolution of post-war thinking on trade and development, followed by ten self-contained case studies, each of which focuses upon a specific policy issue. The author draws upon current theory and methodology and demonstrates the policy implications of his findings. Two key concerns which guide the empirical analysis throughout are the interconnection between theory and practice and the choice of analytical procedures with a view to getting the maximum out of available data. Trade Policy Issues in Asian Development places a unique emphasis upon methodology and data handling and offers a comprehensive subject coverage. This will be a valuable reference for professional economists, policy-makers and researchers working on trade and development issues in developing countries.