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An overview of goods and services trade patterns in Asia and the Pacific : a 2023 update
Get PDF• In 2022, trade in goods in the Asia-Pacific region remained concentrated among large East and North-East Asian (ENEA) economies, such as China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Hong Kong; China. In particular, China continued to be the largest trading economy, contributing to over one-third of all merchandise trade in the region.
• Nevertheless, contrary to previous years, regional merchandise trade registered a trend of decreasing concentration in 2022, hinting at some degree of trade redistribution in Asia and the Pacific and the increased share of commodity exporting economies. Indeed, while almost all major ENEA economies experienced a decline in their trading shares, alternative exporting hubs, like Malaysia and Viet Nam, as well as economies outside of the top 10 all saw their prominence in goods trading rise.
• About 60.1% of merchandise trade takes place within the region. Particularly, China absorbed about one-fourth of exports by other Asia-Pacific economies. Outside Asia-Pacific, the largest trading partners were the European Union (14.5%) and the United States (11.7%).
• Globally, about 70% of the Asia-Pacific region’s exports are used as inputs in production processes elsewhere. More specifically, capital goods, such as machinery and equipment, are the region’s most prominent exports.
• Despite deep integration through global value chains, the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) are still largely responsible for Asia and the Pacific’s demand for final goods. Indeed, while consumer goods represent only 22% of the intra-regional exports, this figure rises to roughly 40% in exports to EU and US.
• Services trade is slightly more concentrated than merchandise trade, with the top 10 largest economies making up almost 90% of total regional services trade.
• Despite still being below pre-pandemic levels, services exports and imports in Asia and the Pacific continued to recover, due to the recovery of travel sector and a less constrained transport sector. Owing to the strong performances of both sectors, their prominence in regional services trade adjusted upwards.
• Since 2016, the overall Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI) score in Asia and the Pacific has declined. This is in contrast with the opposite progression seen in economies outside of the region. However, in 2022, services trade restrictiveness was still higher in the Asia-Pacific region than in the rest of the world. The difference was most significant in the Rail freight transportation, Accounting, and Telecom sectors. </p
Legal identity systems in Asia and the Pacific : civil registration, vital statistics and identity management
Get PDFThis paper discusses the relationship between civil registration and identity management systems in Asia and the Pacific, providing an overview of the approaches taken to develop and strengthen legal identity systems. It describes the functionalities of legal identity systems and the key components of present-day systems, highlighting the increasing role of digitization and structural re-organization in system reforms. Using country-specific case studies, the document outlines the diversity in the structure of legal identity systems across the region, and of the steps taken to strengthen links between civil registration and identity management. The document emphasizes the fundamental role of universal civil registration for ensuring a well-functioning, inclusive legal identity system and underscores the importance of prioritizing coordinated investments in both. The paper does not delve into the importance of these systems for the production of vital statistics, but it is taken as a given, that well-functioning systems should facilitate the use of data for this purpose, in alignment with the UN Principles and Recommendations for a Vital Statistics System.</p
Asia-Pacific tech monitor. Vol. 42, No. 4, Oct-Dec 2023
No full textSpecial Theme: Innovative Technologies for Air Pollution Control Air pollution is acknowledged globally as a significant threat to environmental health. The population of Asia is exposed to some of the highest concentrations of PM2.5 in the world. Recent data suggests that more than 7 million premature deaths are attributed to air pollution globally, with two-thirds occurring in the Asia-Pacific region. Beyond health ramifications, air pollution also presents a significant environmental and developmental challenge. In this edition of the Asia-Pacific Tech Monitor, a range of technologies is scanned, offering unique pathways toward enhanced air quality and pollution control. Presented in this issue are details of technologies related to air pollution sensors, vehicle emission, and particulate matter monitoring. Technologies for addressing crop residue burning in South Asia, including biofuel conversion methods like briquettes, pellets, bio-compressed natural gas, and biodiesel, are also covered. Moreover, the crucial role of cross-sectoral collaboration in combating air pollution is emphasized, highlighting existing policies and collaboration avenues in countries including China, the Republic of Korea, and Japan. <p
Methodology to develop city-level, science-based, air-pollution action plans
Get PDFIt is universally recognized that air pollution is a pressing environmental challenge that has increased considerably in recent years, leading to a rise in premature deaths, threatening livelihoods, and the sustainable development of the region. In particular, many cities in Asia and the Pacific where air pollution is a major public health hazard to an increasing urban population, especially it’s most vulnerable demographics.
However, many rapidly urbanizing cities in developing countries lack the resources and data to clearly identify the causes of air pollution impacting local conditions. In order to address the pervasive problems of low data quality and availability, the “Methodology To Develop City-Level, Science-Based, Air-Pollution Action Plans” working paper describes methodologies using machine learning to enable better decision making. Through the use of these innovative techniques, decision makers and stakeholders can have greater data-based analysis to create city level air pollution action plans.Financial support by the Republic of Kore
Asia-Pacific trade and investment trends brief 2022/2023 : Brunei Darussalam
No full textThis brief covers recent trends and developments in trade and investment. It has been produced as an accompaniment to the Asia-Pacific Trade and Investment Trends 2022/2023
Paperless trade implementation in Bangladesh : status, challenges, and way forward
Get PDFThe paperless trade facilitation initiative aims to accelerate the implementation of digital trade facilitation measures to promote trade and foster development in developing nations. This initiative holds great promise in countries like Bangladesh, where bureaucratic red tape hinders commerce, drives up costs, and diminishes product quality. However, Bangladesh faces significant challenges on this front. Numerous government agencies do not collaborate effectively, and many of them still rely heavily on manual trade documents. The absence of proper digital laws further complicates the implementation of paperless trade, and the lack of alignment among existing laws adds to the difficulty. Nevertheless, the effective implementation of paperless trade, coupled with the establishment of the Bangladesh National Single Window (BNSW), can save valuable time and contribute to a smoother trading system. Bangladesh can fully capitalize on this opportunity, especially as it is poised to transition from a Least Developed Country (LDC) to a Developing Country (DC) by 2026. Achieving paperless trade in Bangladesh is a protracted and intricate process that demands appropriate legislative support, as well as well-devised strategies and logistics. Collaborative efforts between the government and business sectors will undoubtedly enhance this transition. It is also important to acknowledge that various challenges and risks may arise during this transition, potentially slowing down progress or even jeopardizing its success
Delivering on the sustainable development goals through solutions at the energy, food and finance nexus
No full textIn an era of multiple crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the 2023 Asia-Pacific SDG Partnership Report – titled ‘Delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals through Solutions at the Energy, Food and Finance Nexus’ focuses on solutions at the nexus of the energy, food and finance sectors in the Asia-Pacific region that can accelerate progress towards the SDGs. Reflecting on the theme of the 10th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), it aims to support regional dialogue, in preparation for the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) and to inform the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The report analyses the confluence of transitions needed in these three intertwined systems, highlighting good practices and examples from the Asia-Pacific region, and policy recommendations to leverage the opportunities that these solutions present to advance the SDGs in the region.</p
An augmented long-term approach to public debt sustainability analysis
No full textThis policy brief is based on chapter 4 of the 2023 edition of ESCAP’sEconomic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific.This policy brief makes a case for policymakers in Asia and the Pacific and the international development community to rethink how public debt assessment should be undertaken, especially keeping in view the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It does so by outlining an “augmented”, long-term approach to analyse public debt sustainability. This approach duly incorporates a country’s investment needs to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), governments’ structural development policies that go beyond financial investments, and national SDG financing strategies.
By supplementing the short- to medium-term approaches currently adopted by international financial institutions and credit rating agencies, this new approach is important because, without a complementary long-term analysis, there is a risk that too much emphasis will be put on reducing near-term debt distress risk at the cost of achieving inclusive and sustainable development.
The analysis is based on macroeconomic modelling and illustrates different trajectories of government debt level under different policy scenarios and adverse shocks. This helps policymakers make informed choices on how to strike a balance between maintaining public debt sustainability and achieving more inclusive and sustainable development in the long term. </p