5
Discussion
Using a modified gravity equation, this paper investigates the effect of AFTA on
world and regional trade patterns. Our first main finding is that trade flows were not
25
This competitive effect is partly offset by the increase in the prices of intermediate
products and inputs in the manufacturing process.
21
significantly affected in the years immediately following the signing of the AFTA
agreement in 1993 and reinforces the findings of previous studies. Indeed, the
degree of trade creation was lower than the preceding period 1988-1992. When the
gravity equation was re-estimated for intra-ASEAN trade only however, we did find
some evidence of a positive AFTA effect that although limited at first, gradually
increased. It should be noted however, that institutional progress by ASEAN
governments at this time was relatively limited.
One possible explanation for the fall in trade creation immediately following 1993
was the emergence of credible competition for market share from the new industrial
and exporting powers of China, South American and Eastern Europe. Similarly
other regional trade agreements such as the EU and NAFTA and associated
agreements between these groupings and countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East
and North Africa may have exhibited their own trade diversion effects. The
observation from Table 2 that the coefficient of NAFTA dramatically increases in
1990s while the coefficient of exNAFTA decreases (and is negative) supports this
conjecture.
Our second finding is that the Asian economic crisis was not a hindrance to the aims
of AFTA but rather may have worked as a trigger for a further acceleration of the
process and de facto economic integration itself. Indeed, evidence from Table 2 also
suggests that the effect of the Asian economic crisis was to generate a stronger desire
to source imports from within the region (even though the effect seems to have been
relatively small). A second explanation for the weakening of the negative import
diversion effect after the Asian crisis may reflect the consensus that prior to this date
22
that although ASEAN’s success was based on its outward orientation, perceived
problems of credibility and confidence in the region by the industrialised world meant
that ASEAN countries were forced to turn inwards and to focus on their local markets.
In response, ASEAN governments have made significant efforts to promote the
AFTA process in the midst of Asian crisis, for example at the ASEAN summit in
1998 when the final date for completion of AFTA was bought forward. Finally
however, it can be stated that the traditional stance of ASEAN countries to outward
oriented economic activity has not been significantly damaged but rather stimulated
by the AFTA process and/or the economic crisis resulting in no detrimental welfare
effects for the rest of the world
Recent developments suggest that ASEAN continues to make efforts to accelerate
institutional progress towards regional integration through both widening its
membership to include the entire Southeast Asian region and deepening its policy
coverage to non-trade areas and pursuing wider integration possibilities beyond the
region such as proposing economic cooperation with other regions and countries such
as China and Japan. It is, however, crucially important that there is a strong
economic rational to regional integration. In this sense, developments in this region
have benefited from support from multinational corporations and an additional
explanation for the recent rise in intra-ASEAN trade includes manufacturing’s
increasing reliance on an intra-regional production networks where parts, components
and other intermediate goods are produced across the ASEAN region and bought
together in one location for final assembly (Ng and Yeats 1999, Arndt 2001, Guiheux
and Lecler 2000).
23
There remain however, a number of questions raised by this study. First, the
short-run adjustment costs following the AFTA process and the Asian crisis are an
important issue both economically and politically. There is still little reference to
this subject for the case of ASEAN (early studies include Khalifah 1996, Menon 1996
and Brülhart and Thorpe 2000).
26
Secondly, the long-term dynamic gains that
ASEAN governments wished to peruse from AFTA such as the attraction of FDI,
accumulation of capital stock, technological progress, increasing product variety,
evolving comparative advantage structures and so on may be currently being realised
although it is still too early to observe them empirically (early studies include Madani
2001 and Bende-Nabende and Slater 2001).
26
Concerns about domestic industrial adjustment have already resulted in some
countries calling for a rescheduling and rethinking of the product coverage (Menon 1996).
Producers in Thailand and Malaysia for example, have requested more protective
measures at least in the short-term and Malaysia introduced the Approved Permit System
(APS) in April 1994 to restrict imports (Menon, 1996).
24
Table 1. Modified Gravity model estimates investigating intra-regional bias
variable
Equation (1)
Equation (2)
1983-87
1988-92
1993-97
1998-99
1983-97
1983-99
1983-87
1988-92
1993-97
1998-99
1983-97
1983-99
C -25.79*** -24.36*** -25.81***
-25.50** -23.63*** -23.73*** -24.84*** -23.46*** -24.13*** -23.86*** -22.54*** -22.59***
(-57.08)
(-56.13)
(-58.93)
(-36.24)
( -99.46)
(-106.62)
(-61.47)
(-62.30)
(-63.12)
(-38.61)
(-106.73)
(-114.31)
LGDPR
0.74***
0.72***
0.74***
0.75***
0.71***
0.71***
0.72***
0.69***
0.71***
0.72***
0.69***
0.69***
( 61.49)
( 63.89)
( 67.27)
( 42.42)
( 108.29)
( 116.23)
( 65.22)
( 69.36)
( 72.11)
( 45.57)
( 115.21)
( 123.69)
LGDPP
0.72***
0.73***
0.80***
0.78***
0.73***
0.73***
0.70***
0.70***
0.77***
0.75***
0.70***
0.71***
( 59.98)
( 64.56)
( 72.22)
( 44.16)
( 110.47)
( 118.91)
( 63.51)
( 70.19)
( 77.72)
( 47.50)
( 117.67)
( 126.73)
LPGDPR
0.21***
0.14***
0.11***
0.15***
0.14***
0.14***
0.24***
0.18***
0.14***
0.18***
0.17***
0.17***
( 17.05)
( 13.50)
( 11.07)
( 8.96)
( 21.57)
( 23.18)
( 21.26)
( 19.10)
( 15.42)
( 12.31)
( 29.31)
( 31.58)
LPGDPP
0.30***
0.15***
0.10***
0.04**
0.16***
0.15***
0.33***
0.19***
0.13***
0.08***
0.20***
0.18***
( 23.92)
( 14.45)
( 10.23)
( 2.58)
( 25.68)
( 24.92)
( 28.79)
( 20.02)
( 14.46)
( 5.17)
( 33.73)
( 33.40)
LGAP
0.07***
0.06***
-0.01
-0.01
0.03***
0.02***
0.08***
0.06***
-0.01
-0.01
0.03***
0.03***
( 5.75)
( 4.87)
( -0.62)
( -0.75)
( 4.05)
( 3.64)
( 6.66)
( 6.24)
( -0.60)
( -0.45)
( 5.15)
( 4.81)
LDIS
-0.67***
-0.60***
-0.57***
-0.57***
-0.62***
-0.62***
-0.74***
-0.67***
-0.64***
-0.65***
-0.69***
-0.69***
(-38.72)
(-37.73)
(-38.07)
(-23.21)
(-66.36)
(-70.39)
(-47.46)
(-47.76)
(-48.38)
(-29.62)
(-81.99)
(-87.19)
ADJ
0.35***
0.49***
0.44***
0.46***
0.43***
0.44***
0.35***
0.52***
0.47***
0.49***
0.44***
0.45***
( 4.63)
( 6.94)
( 6.58)
( 4.24)
( 10.30)
( 11.08)
( 5.05)
( 8.22)
( 7.78)
( 5.06)
( 11.64)
( 12.62)
COM
1.02***
1.24***
1.15***
1.28***
1.13***
1.15***
1.07***
1.18***
1.04***
1.14***
1.10***
1.11***
( 19.85)
( 21.24)
( 20.10)
( 15.22)
( 35.00)
( 38.06)
( 22.92)
( 22.59)
( 20.31)
( 15.19)
( 37.79)
( 40.64)
Intra-region
ASEAN
1.78***
1.75***
1.67***
1.72***
1.60***
1.61***
( 14.99)
( 16.05)
( 16.04)
( 10.07)
( 24.75)
( 26.62)
EU
NAFTA
APEC
1.27***
1.30***
1.23***
1.27***
1.24***
1.25***
( 37.31)
( 42.69)
( 42.65)
( 26.98)
( 67.81)
( 72.78)
Adjusted R
2
0.73
0.74
0.73
0.73
0.74
0.74
0.77
0.79
0.79
0.78
0.79
0.79
F-Statistic 1787.19*** 1860.23*** 1819.54*** 713.96*** 5714.21*** 6511.43*** 2251.66*** 2497.03*** 2444.35*** 961.77*** 7378.55*** 8433.17***
Obs
5927
5943
5950
2380
17820
20200
5927
5943
5950
2380
17820
20200
25
variable
Equation (3)
Equation (4)
1983-87
1988-92
1993-97
1998-99
1983-97
1983-99
1983-87
1988-92
1993-97
1998-99
1983-97
1983-99
C -25.65*** -24.20*** -25.48*** -25.09*** -23.45*** -23.53*** -25.66*** -24.36*** -24.72*** -24.53*** -23.07*** -23.12***
(-56.25)
(-55.34)
(-57.85)
(-35.14)
( -98.09)
(-105.10)
(-61.71)
(-62.73)
(-62.85)
(-38.53)
(-106.67)
(-114.23)
LGDPR
0.74***
0.71***
0.74***
0.75***
0.71***
0.71***
0.72***
0.70***
0.71***
0.72***
0.69***
0.69***
( 60.72)
( 63.09)
( 66.47)
( 41.84)
( 107.06)
( 114.90)
( 65.41)
( 69.68)
( 71.98)
( 45.53)
( 115.02)
( 123.48)
LGDPP
0.72***
0.72***
0.79***
0.78***
0.72***
0.73***
0.71***
0.71***
0.77***
0.76***
0.70***
0.71***
( 59.22)
( 63.75)
( 71.40)
( 43.57)
( 109.23)
( 117.58)
( 63.71)
( 70.50)
( 77.55)
( 47.45)
( 117.43)
( 126.50)
LPGDPR
0.21***
0.14***
0.11***
0.15***
0.14***
0.14***
0.25***
0.19***
0.15***
0.19***
0.17***
0.17***
( 16.96)
( 13.45)
( 11.07)
( 8.95)
( 21.57)
( 23.18)
( 21.89)
( 19.78)
( 16.00)
( 12.80)
( 30.01)
( 32.36)
LPGDPP
0.30***
0.15***
0.10***
0.04**
0.16***
0.15***
0.33***
0.20***
0.14***
0.08***
0.20***
0.18***
( 23.84)
( 14.41)
( 10.22)
( 2.56)
( 25.68)
( 24.93)
( 29.42)
( 20.72)
( 15.04)
( 5.67)
( 34.44)
( 34.19)
LGAP
0.08***
0.06***
-0.01
-0.01
0.03***
0.03***
0.09***
0.08***
0.00
0.00
0.04***
0.04***
( 5.89)
( 5.07)
( -0.75)
( -0.83)
( 4.35)
( 3.96)
( 7.56)
( 7.40)
( 0.16)
( 0.04)
( 6.56)
( 6.33)
LDIS
-0.65***
-0.58***
-0.57***
-0.57***
-0.61***
-0.61***
-0.70***
-0.62***
-0.61***
-0.62***
-0.65***
-0.65***
(-35.55)
(-34.54)
(-35.73)
(-22.05)
(-61.07)
(-64.96)
(-41.48)
(-41.31)
(-42.85)
(-26.56)
(-71.86)
(-76.57)
ADJ
0.30***
0.43***
0.35***
0.35***
0.35***
0.35***
0.34***
0.50***
0.42***
0.41***
0.41***
0.41***
( 3.77)
( 5.88)
( 5.07)
( 3.17)
( 8.13)
( 8.68)
( 4.73)
( 7.81)
( 6.73)
( 4.22)
( 10.46)
( 11.23)
COM
1.01***
1.24***
1.15***
1.28***
1.12***
1.14***
1.05***
1.19***
1.04***
1.09***
1.10***
1.10***
( 19.80)
( 21.24)
( 20.06)
( 15.19)
( 34.94)
( 38.00)
( 22.57)
( 22.98)
( 20.36)
( 14.52)
( 37.80)
( 40.50)
Intra-region
ASEAN
1.81***
1.79***
1.69***
1.74***
1.64***
1.65***
0.82***
0.81***
0.70***
0.82***
0.65***
0.66***
( 15.22)
( 16.34)
( 16.19)
( 10.18)
( 25.28)
( 27.18)
( 7.32)
( 8.08)
( 7.31)
( 5.27)
( 10.76)
( 11.73)
EU
0.24***
0.27***
0.10
0.12
0.24***
0.23***
0.33***
0.37***
0.21***
0.23**
0.34***
0.34***
( 2.75)
( 3.35)
( 1.25)
( 0.92)
( 4.99)
( 5.14)
( 4.01)
( 5.10)
( 3.01)
( 2.00)
( 7.78)
( 8.16)
NAFTA
0.57***
0.62***
1.09***
1.26***
0.87***
0.92***
-0.49**
-0.46**
0.13
0.27
-0.13
-0.08
( 2.68)
( 3.21)
( 5.87)
( 4.23)
( 7.51)
( 8.52)
( -2.50)
( -2.62)
( 0.81)
( 1.00)
( -1.27)
( -0.81)
APEC
1.23***
1.26***
1.18***
1.21***
1.20***
1.20***
( 34.57)
( 39.91)
( 39.06)
( 24.82)
( 62.94)
( 67.45)
Adjusted R
2
0.73
0.74
0.73
0.73
0.74
0.74
0.78
0.79
0.79
0.79
0.79
0.79
F-Statistic
1466.5*** 1528.6*** 1500.3***
589.9*** 4702.2*** 5360.6*** 1715.3*** 1909.9*** 1855.6***
732.4*** 5599.0*** 6400.2***
Obs
5927
5943
5950
2380
17820
20200
5927
5943
5970
2380
17820
20200
Note ***, **, and * denote 1%, 5%, and 10% level significance respectively. The numbers in parentheses are the t-statstics. Due to the difference of observed years and
missing values, the numbers of observations are not constant. The number of observations are as follows; (a) For periods 1983-87, 1988-92 and 1993-97, 35 by 34
countries, by 5 years = 5950; (b) For the period 1998-99, 35 by 34 countries, by 2 years = 2380; (c) For the period 1983-97, 35 by 34 countries, by 15 years = 17850; (d) For
the period 1983-99, 35 by 34 countries and by 17years = 20230. All regressions estimated using TSP.
26
Table 2. Modified Gravity model estimates: trade creation and trade diversion
Variable
1983-87
1988-92
1993-97
1998-99
1983-97
1983-99
C
-29.57***
-28.43***
-29.48***
-30.12***
-25.81***
-25.93***
(-57.64)
(-59.71)
(-64.79)
(-40.34)
(-102.03)
(-109.92)
LGDPR
0.79***
0.77***
0.78***
0.77***
0.73***
0.73***
( 58.97)
( 63.23)
( 67.52)
( 41.49)
(103.03)
( 110.27)
LGDPP
0.78***
0.79***
0.87***
0.90***
0.77***
0.78***
( 58.51)
( 64.72)
( 75.93)
( 48.83)
(108.08)
( 117.39)
LPGDPR
0.25***
0.19***
0.16***
0.20***
0.17***
0.17***
( 20.13)
( 18.25)
( 16.98)
( 12.78)
( 26.97)
( 29.03)
LPGDPP
0.34***
0.19***
0.14***
0.12***
0.19***
0.18***
( 27.48)
( 18.34)
( 14.70)
( 7.70)
( 30.30)
( 30.50)
LGAP
0.06***
0.04***
-0.02*
-0.02
0.01*
0.01
( 5.01)
( 3.78)
( -1.91)
( -1.44)
( 1.92)
( 1.36)
LDIS
-0.65***
-0.59***
-0.60***
-0.62***
-0.63***
-0.63***
(-35.41)
(-35.85)
(-39.75)
(-25.75)
(-63.36)
(-68.13)
ADJ
0.34***
0.46***
0.39***
0.41***
0.39***
0.39***
( 4.53)
( 6.79)
( 6.29)
( 4.22)
( 9.68)
( 10.43)
COM
1.02***
1.23***
1.20***
1.31***
1.15***
1.18***
( 20.99)
( 22.62)
( 23.07)
( 17.78)
( 37.99)
( 41.59)
Intra-regional bias
ASEAN
2.26***
2.27***
2.11***
2.35***
2.01***
2.03***
( 19.75)
( 21.95)
( 22.30)
( 15.53)
( 32.70)
( 35.50)
EEC
0.29***
0.27***
0.11
0.11
0.34***
0.33***
( 3.34)
( 3.47)
( 1.49)
( 0.96)
( 7.26)
( 7.55)
NAFTA
0.52***
0.60***
1.12***
1.29***
0.98***
1.04***
( 2.58)
( 3.28)
( 6.66)
( 4.90)
( 8.96)
( 10.22)
Extra-regional bias
(imports to)
imASEAN
0.76***
0.92***
1.02***
0.98***
0.83***
0.83***
( 16.27)
( 21.51)
( 26.25)
( 15.68)
( 32.64)
( 35.41)
imEEC
0.28***
0.20***
0.20***
0.29***
0.30***
0.31***
( 6.50)
( 5.34)
( 5.55)
( 5.28)
( 13.32)
( 14.64)
imNAFTA
-0.35***
-0.23***
0.01
0.23***
-0.07**
-0.02***
( -5.82)
( -4.41)
( 0.28)
( 1.28)
( -2.06)
( -0.60)
(exports from)
exASEAN
0.79***
0.81***
0.91***
1.28***
0.77***
0.82***
( 16.97)
( 19.05)
( 23.55)
( 20.59)
( 30.32)
( 34.74)
exEEC
0.22***
0.19***
0.21***
0.21***
0.29***
0.29***
( 5.18)
( 4.90)
( 5.87)
( 3.75)
( 12.56)
( 13.49)
exNAFTA
-0.41***
-0.43***
-0.57***
-0.58***
-0.34***
-0.36***
( -6.92)
( -8.12)
( -11.71)
( -7.56)
( -10.88)
( -12.17)
Adjusted R
2
0.76
0.77
0.78
0.79
0.77
0.78
F-statisitics
1095.6***
1193.5***
1273.4***
541.02***
3566.8***
4114.5***
Observations
5927
5943
5950
2380
17820
20200
Note ***, **, and * denote 1%, 5%, and 10% level significance respectively
.
27
Table 3. Modified Gravity model estimates: ASEAN bilateral trade
Variable
1983-87
1988-92
1993-97
1998-99
1983-97
1983-99
C
-28.71***
-26.41***
-29.93***
-33.23***
-22.76***
-23.48***
(-28.00)
(-27.33)
(-32.40)
(-20.90)
(-44.48)
(-48.68)
LGDPR
0.89***
0.85***
0.88***
0.97***
0.77***
0.78***
( 35.40)
( 35.53)
( 39.31)
( 25.52)
( 57.50)
( 62.25)
LGDPP
0.94***
0.89***
0.94***
0.96***
0.82***
0.82***
( 37.47)
( 37.71)
( 41.72)
( 25.44)
( 61.34)
( 65.84)
LPGDPR
0.63***
0.48***
0.38***
0.38***
0.42***
0.41***
( 25.92)
( 23.06)
( 21.19)
( 13.28)
( 34.81)
( 36.88)
LPGDPP
0.61***
0.45***
0.37***
0.21***
0.40***
0.37***
( 25.15)
( 21.77)
( 20.50)
( 7.46)
( 33.20)
( 33.32)
LGAP
-0.10***
-0.14***
-0.11***
-0.05*
-0.09***
-0.08***
( -4.08)
( -6.78)
( -6.06)
( -1.70)
( -6.89)
( -7.00)
LDIS
-1.84***
-1.58***
-1.29***
-1.13***
-1.49***
-1.44***
(-37.09)
(-34.03)
(-30.55)
(-16.06)
(-53.70)
(-55.66)
ADJ
-1.20***
-0.63***
-0.44**
-0.25
-0.64***
-0.60***
( -5.36)
( -3.02)
( -2.27)
( -0.81)
( -5.06)
( -5.08)
COM
0.89***
1.03***
1.11***
1.37***
1.06***
1.10***
( 11.37)
( 10.46)
( 13.52)
( 12.07)
( 20.69)
( 23.34)
ASEAN
0.34**
0.35***
0.51***
0.84***
0.29***
0.35***
( 2.40)
( 2.66)
( 4.19)
( 4.20)
( 3.61)
( 4.68)
Adjusted R
2
0.74
0.73
0.76
0.75
0.75
0.75
F-statisitics
497.6***
487.7***
564.3***
217.2***
1591.3***
1820.9***
Observations
1600
1600
1600
640
4800
5440
Note ***, **, and * denote 1%, 5%, and 10% level significance respectively.
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