While the Asia-Pacific trade outlook for this year is positive,
some uncertainties ¬– including the possible impact of structural rebalancing
of China from export orientation to domestic consumption – are forecast for
2018, the United Nations commission for the region said Monday.
In its flagship annual report on trade and investment in the
region, Channelling Trade and Investment into Sustainable Development, the
UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) underscored
the importance of integrated liberalization policies to achieve the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs).
“The impact analysis of different policy scenarios featured in
the report make it clear that SDGs cannot be achieved through
protectionist policies,” said ESCAP Executive Secretary Shamshad Akhtar
launching the report in Bangkok.
Ms. Akhtar emphasized that an integrated approach to trade and
investment liberalization is essential to achieving the SDGs in the
region, but that SDG-targeted trade and investment policies and complementary domestic
policies need to mitigate social and environmental impacts of trade and
investment.
“What we need is targeted trade and investment liberalization
policies that are more inclusive and mindful of the social and environmental
dimensions of sustainable development,” she stressed.
The report emphasized that cutting trade costs and deepening
regional cooperation are key to reaping the benefits across the region, which
may result in $100 billion more regional exports annually.
Export growth is forecast at 4.5 per cent for 2017 and foreign
direct investment is also expected to rebound this year, building upon fast
growth in greenfield investment in 2016 and continued investment
liberalization.
The ESCAP study noted that the expected growth of exports by developing
Asia-Pacific economies is 4.8 per cent while that of developed countries in the
region is 3.3 per cent.
Countries previously affected by the slowdown of global value
chains are expected to enjoy significantly better trade prospects this year. At
the same time, the rising prices of industrial commodities and fuel will
contribute to dynamic growth for commodity exporters.
The study also anticipates more modest export growth in 2018, at
3.5 per cent, while the import volume will increase by less than three per
cent. Export and import prices, especially commodity prices, may trend
downward, due to the potential slowdown of investment and consumption
precipitated by rising uncertainties, causing slower trade value growth in
2018.
At the same time, deepening uncertainties may also affect the
extent of investment liberalization, which is found increasing the gross
domestic product (GDP) annually by $19.5 billion, while decreasing inequality
in the region by 0.02 per cent per year.
Cautioning that there may be some “grey clouds on the horizon,”
the report says structural factors that have contributed to weak trade
performance since the 2008-2009 global financial crisis persist. For instance,
import demand in China, especially for intermediate inputs, will moderate due
to the structural rebalancing of China from export orientation to domestic
consumption.
Moreover, while many of the fears about renewed trade
protectionism from some developed economies may not be realized, rising
uncertainties could be a disincentive for long-term investment and trade.
A strong message from the report is that integrated
liberalization increases trade and GDP significantly more than any of the other
stand-alone policy changes. This integrated approach facilitates the
participation of countries in global value chains and significantly increases
the competitiveness of regional exports – providing strong evidence of the
important synergies that can be achieved by liberalizing and facilitating trade
and investment.
Source
: Un.org
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