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Exploring Pakistan’s Regional Economic Cooperation Potential

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  • A.R. Kemal

    (Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Islamabad.)

Abstract

Free trade benefits are not well-harnessed despite the WTO because of the regional groupings. Such groupings have, in fact, resulted in a chaos. Pakistan has been a member of the SAARC and the ECO. In both the groups, intra-regional trade accounts for only four percent of total trade. The present study briefly reviews and identifies constraints to intra-regional trade and other modes of economic cooperation in the region. The SAFTA agreement and the possibilities of greater economic cooperation are also examined. Comparative advantage and low trade complementarity are found to be the main impediments to trade. Other obstacles such as limited capacity to generate exportable surpluses, restrictive trade policies, and political problems have also inhibited the growth of intra-regional trade. Higher trade levels can be achieved through intra-industry trade, vertical specialisation, joint export marketing of competing regional export products, deepening trade liberalisation, promoting monetary cooperation, and encouraging joint industrial ventures. It is imperative for the success of SAFTA that the negative list is kept quite small and the countries are prepared for closure of a few industries. Thus the SAFTA has great potential and South Asian countries should accept short-term costs for long-run benefits. Expansion of trade as well as efficiency and improved quality of exports would benefit the countries participating in the regional co-operation effort.

Suggested Citation

  • A.R. Kemal, 2004. "Exploring Pakistan’s Regional Economic Cooperation Potential," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 43(4), pages 313-334.
    • Handle: RePEc:pid:journl:v:43:y:2004:i:4:p:313-334
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    Cited by:

    1. Shadat Hossain, 2018. "SAFTA and AFTA: a comparative welfare analysis of two regional trade agreements," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 7(1), pages 1-27, December.
    2. Ejaz Ghani & Musleh ud Din & Afia Malik, 2017. "An Assessment of Pakistan's Export Performance and the Way Forward," Working Papers id:12173, eSocialSciences.
    3. Muhammad Shahbaz & Nuno Carlos Leit o & Muhammad Sabihuddin Butt, 2012. "Pakistan Intra-Industry Trade: A Panel Data Approach," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 2(2), pages 225-232.
    4. Shah Mehmood WAGAN, 2015. "Export boost of textile industry of Pakistan by availing EU’s GSP Plus," Journal of Economics Library, KSP Journals, vol. 2(1), pages 18-27, March.
    5. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Leitão, Nuno Carlos, 2011. "Intra-industry trade: The Pakistan experience," MPRA Paper 28665, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Khadan, Jeetendra & Hosein, Roger, 2014. "Trade, Economic and Welfare impacts of the CARICOM-Canada Free Trade Agreement," MPRA Paper 54836, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Khadan, Jeetendra & Hosein, Roger, 2013. "New Empirical Insights into the “Natural Trading Partner” Hypothesis for CARICOM Countries," MPRA Paper 50493, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    8. Khadan, Jeetendra & Hosein, Roger, 2014. "Trade, Economic and Welfare impacts of the CARICOM-Canada Free Trade Agreement," MPRA Paper 54836, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Nazia Nazeer & Rajah Rasiah, 2016. "Explaining Pakistan’s Premature Deindustrialization," Lahore Journal of Economics, Department of Economics, The Lahore School of Economics, vol. 21(Special E), pages 351-368, September.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Pakistan; Regional Economic;

    JEL classification:

    • R10 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - General

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