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Sustaining International Trade with China: Does ACFTA Improve ASEAN Export Efficiency?

Author

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  • Antonio Alleyne

    (Department of Economics, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Bridgetown BB11000, Barbados)

  • Zhaoyong Zhang

    (School of Business & Law, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup WA 6027, Australia)

  • Yifei Mu

    (School of International Economics and Trade, Dongbei University of Finance and Economics, Dalian 116025, China)

Abstract

The business of international trade has never been identified as zero-sum. Yet, dependence on regional agreements to provide alternate means for countries to overlook shortcomings persists. China’s recent rise up the trade value-chain has fostered an assumption that the regional agreement provides various advantages to exports from Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries. This paper provides an empirical assessment of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) impact on ASEAN export efficiency into the Chinese market, in pre and post eras. Using a structured gravity approach to estimate potential export pattern at aggregate and industry level, this research indicates that though not consistent across years, the ACFTA offers improvements to ASEAN exports to China. No clear effects of the ACFTA can be extrapolated from the years surrounding the initial signing (Article 8—2004). However, following its full enactment (2010), the ACFTA resulted in more sustainable trade from ASEAN members towards China, at both the industry and country levels. While seeing improvements in export efficiency during its era, ACFTA’s facilitation of efficiency measures with China came at no expense to other major export destinations.

Suggested Citation

  • Antonio Alleyne & Zhaoyong Zhang & Yifei Mu, 2020. "Sustaining International Trade with China: Does ACFTA Improve ASEAN Export Efficiency?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-30, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:15:p:6159-:d:392363
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    2. Wong, Colin Koh-King & Liew, Venus Khim-Sen & Arip, Mohammad Affendy, 2021. "The Effects Of Asean-China Free Trade Agreement On Bilateral Trades," MPRA Paper 107943, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Huang, Qingbo & Zhang, Xiaohan & Li, Yan, 2023. "Study on the economic effects of China and ASEAN countries from the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 123-135.
    4. Beatriz Andres & Raul Poler & Eduardo Guzman, 2022. "The Influence of Collaboration on Enterprises Internationalization Process," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-23, February.
    5. Bangchu Qiu & Gang Tian & Daoming Wang, 2022. "Empirical Analysis of Sustainable Trade Effects of FTAs Based on Augmented Gravity Model: A Case Study of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.

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