Is SAFTA trade creating or trade diverting? A computable general equilibrium assessment with a focus on Sri Lanka

The Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) entered its second phase of implementation in 2008. The creation of a free trade area is expected to affect its participants—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—very differently given their diversity in terms of...

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Main Authors: Bouët, Antoine, Mevel, Simon, Thomas, Marcelle
Format: Artículo preliminar
Language:Inglés
Published: International Food Policy Research Institute 2010
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/154617
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author Bouët, Antoine
Mevel, Simon
Thomas, Marcelle
author_browse Bouët, Antoine
Mevel, Simon
Thomas, Marcelle
author_facet Bouët, Antoine
Mevel, Simon
Thomas, Marcelle
author_sort Bouët, Antoine
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) entered its second phase of implementation in 2008. The creation of a free trade area is expected to affect its participants—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—very differently given their diversity in terms of size, income, and structure of trade and protection. Using the 2004 MAcMapHS6-v2 database on measures of applied protection at the HS6 level and MIRAGE, a computable general equilibrium global model, this study examines the effects of SAFTA on trade and net income in the region. The magnitude of the effects will depend on initial levels of protection in the region and whether the agreement is trade diverting or trade creating. An important component of the SAFTA agreement is the exemption of products (sensitive list) from the trade liberalization process. Because such exclusion can restrict significantly the benefits from the regional trade agreement, we simulate the effects of SAFTA with and without sensitive products. Our findings show that among South Asian countries, Sri Lanka gains the most from the agreement because it initially has relatively low tariffs and faces high tariffs in the region. Exempting sensitive products from the agreement limits gains from trade for the lower-middle-income members of SAFTA but may be welfare enhancing for the least developed economies.
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spelling CGSpace1546172025-11-06T06:22:30Z Is SAFTA trade creating or trade diverting? A computable general equilibrium assessment with a focus on Sri Lanka Bouët, Antoine Mevel, Simon Thomas, Marcelle trade liberalization welfare trade income markets globalization free trade agreements computable general equilibrium models The Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) entered its second phase of implementation in 2008. The creation of a free trade area is expected to affect its participants—Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—very differently given their diversity in terms of size, income, and structure of trade and protection. Using the 2004 MAcMapHS6-v2 database on measures of applied protection at the HS6 level and MIRAGE, a computable general equilibrium global model, this study examines the effects of SAFTA on trade and net income in the region. The magnitude of the effects will depend on initial levels of protection in the region and whether the agreement is trade diverting or trade creating. An important component of the SAFTA agreement is the exemption of products (sensitive list) from the trade liberalization process. Because such exclusion can restrict significantly the benefits from the regional trade agreement, we simulate the effects of SAFTA with and without sensitive products. Our findings show that among South Asian countries, Sri Lanka gains the most from the agreement because it initially has relatively low tariffs and faces high tariffs in the region. Exempting sensitive products from the agreement limits gains from trade for the lower-middle-income members of SAFTA but may be welfare enhancing for the least developed economies. 2010 2024-10-01T14:02:42Z 2024-10-01T14:02:42Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/154617 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Bouët, Antoine; Mevel, Simon; Thomas, Marcelle. 2010. Is SAFTA trade creating or trade diverting? A computable general equilibrium assessment with a focus on Sri Lanka. IFPRI Discussion Paper 950. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/154617
spellingShingle trade liberalization
welfare
trade
income
markets
globalization
free trade agreements
computable general equilibrium models
Bouët, Antoine
Mevel, Simon
Thomas, Marcelle
Is SAFTA trade creating or trade diverting? A computable general equilibrium assessment with a focus on Sri Lanka
title Is SAFTA trade creating or trade diverting? A computable general equilibrium assessment with a focus on Sri Lanka
title_full Is SAFTA trade creating or trade diverting? A computable general equilibrium assessment with a focus on Sri Lanka
title_fullStr Is SAFTA trade creating or trade diverting? A computable general equilibrium assessment with a focus on Sri Lanka
title_full_unstemmed Is SAFTA trade creating or trade diverting? A computable general equilibrium assessment with a focus on Sri Lanka
title_short Is SAFTA trade creating or trade diverting? A computable general equilibrium assessment with a focus on Sri Lanka
title_sort is safta trade creating or trade diverting a computable general equilibrium assessment with a focus on sri lanka
topic trade liberalization
welfare
trade
income
markets
globalization
free trade agreements
computable general equilibrium models
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/154617
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AT thomasmarcelle issaftatradecreatingortradedivertingacomputablegeneralequilibriumassessmentwithafocusonsrilanka