The paper
Did APEC meet its goal of cutting trade transaction costs by 10% over 2002–2010? This paper uses trade costs inferred from trade and production patterns to assess progress across the region and its individual economies.
Research findings
- Trade costs fell within APEC, but the region as a whole did not meet the 10% target or consistently outperform the rest of the world.
- Roughly one-third of the economies with complete data met or exceeded the target, with Vietnam a particularly strong performer.
Policy takeaways
- Evaluate regional targets against measurable outcomes and economy-level performance.
- Use successful national experiences to inform the next round of reforms, and keep the focus broad enough to cover costs at, between, and behind borders.