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Trade Policy at the Crossroads: The Indonesian Story

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  • David Vanzetti
  • Greg McGuire
  • Prabowo

Abstract

Following the crises of the late 1990s and the subsequent slowdown in the world economy, many countries in the developed and developing world are at the crossroads in their trade strategy, uncertain whether to advance with trade reforms, to stand still or increase protection. While the case for liberalisation has been widely accepted as a long-term goal for economic policy, the gains from trade have not always been forthcoming and macroeconomic crises have exacerbated the situation. The delayed and uncertain benefits of reform, plus the costs of adjustment, the need to offset tariff revenue losses, and the possible benefits of some degree of intervention to foster industrialisation have all contributed to this indecision. Support for the WTO multilateral negotiations now appears half-hearted, and there are calls for increased protection. Following the slow progress of multilateral negotiations, attention has inevitably turned to regional and bilateral agreements. Indonesia provides an interesting case study of the potential benefits and costs of alternative trade strategies that are under active consideration in many developing countries. The ASEAN region has recently announced a deepening of its commitments and is considering widening the agreement to include countries such as China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. A bilateral agreement with the United States is also a possibility. Against this background, Indonesia’s options on trade policy range from increasing protection to actively pursuing bilateral, regional and multilateral initiatives. The results of a global general equilibrium analysis point to several interesting implications for policy makers. The results from the model show that increasing protection results in economic losses while a stand-still and more liberalisation produce economic gains. After undergoing full adjustment, estimated annual gains to Indonesia from a conservative Uruguay Round-style outcome within the WTO system total an estimated US$380 million (0.22 per cent of GDP). However, annual gains from a completely liberalised ASEAN plus China, Japan and Republic of Korea regional trade agreement are estimated at US$2.3 billion, again after adjustment. Indonesia could capture half of these benefits by liberalising unilaterally. The major source of the gains from unilateral, regional and multilateral liberalisation is improved efficiency following removal of tariffs on politically sensitive sectors such as motor vehicles. This improves productivity in many downstream sectors. There are significant trade diversion effects from regional integration, with non-members worse off as a result. The results have implications for other countries having second thoughts about their strategy.

Suggested Citation

  • David Vanzetti & Greg McGuire & Prabowo, 2005. "Trade Policy at the Crossroads: The Indonesian Story," Asia Pacific Economic Papers 347, Australia-Japan Research Centre, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.
  • Handle: RePEc:csg:ajrcau:347
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    File URL: https://crawford.anu.edu.au/pdf/pep/pep-347.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. M. Chatib Basri & Hal Hill, 2004. "Ideas, Interests and Oil Prices: The Political Economy of Trade Reform During Soeharto's Indonesia," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(5), pages 633-655, May.
    2. Burniaux, Jean-Marc & Truong Truong, 2002. "GTAP-E: An Energy-Environmental Version of the GTAP Model," GTAP Technical Papers 923, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University.
    3. Burniaux, Jean-March & Truong, Truong P., 2002. "Gtap-E: An Energy-Environmental Version Of The Gtap Model," Technical Papers 28705, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    4. Greg McGuire, 2003. "Trade In Services – Market Access Opportunities And The Benefits Of Liberalization For Developing Economies," UNCTAD Blue Series Papers 19, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    5. William James & David Ray & Peter Minor, 2003. "Indonesia'S Textiles And Apparel: The Challenges Ahead," Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 93-103.
    6. Tubagus Feridhanusetyawan & Mari Pangestu, 2003. "Indonesian Trade Liberalisation: Estimating The Gains," Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 39(1), pages 51-74.
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    Cited by:

    1. Philippa Dee, 2007. "East Asian Economic Integration and its Impact on Future Growth," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 405-423, March.

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    JEL classification:

    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations

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