|
Welcome to E-TISNET Monthly Information
Sources to offer you information on the latest trade and investment publications as well as relevant worldwide websites from the
Asia-Pacific region.
E-TISNET Monthly Information Sources
is the new electronic and user-friendly
version of the same section of the former
TISNET Trade and Investment Information
Bulletin. This issue can be also accessed
from UNESCAP's web page, at http://www.unescap.org/tid/latestnews.asp
Past issues are available from http://www.unescap.org/tid/tisnet/tis_bul.asp
For enquiries, please contact us at escap-tisnet@un.org
|
A. TRADE AND INVESTMENT PUBLICATIONS
An Analysis of the Agricultural Domestic Support under the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture: the Blue Box. UNCTAD/DITC/COM/2003/6. December 2003. (PDF-Format, 1,521 Kb)
Agricultural subsidies are at the centre of WTO agricultural negotiations. This report analyses the so-called Blue Box (support to domestic producers which is exempt from reductions under the WTO Agreement on Agriculture) with special emphasis on the subsidies involved and the negotiating positions of WTO member States. An analysis of the effects of including support under the Blue Box in the measure of total support subject to reductions is carried out. In the context of current negotiations, four negotiating proposals and their impacts in terms of agricultural subsidies reduction are described, with the positions where compromises may be sought being stressed.
http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Page.asp?intItemID=1397&lang=1#
Benchmarking FDI Competitiveness in Asia. November 2003. (PDF-Format, 750 Kb).
MIGA has benchmarked for the first time the FDI competitiveness of six countries in Asia (China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam) in two industries, electronics manufacturing and shared services. The report provides a critical view of each country's business environment and identifies specific issues for government policy action. The report consists of three parts: Study and Analysis, Country and Sector Findings; and Appendices, including tables of detailed findings by factor.
http://www.miga.org/screens/pubs/benchmark/asiareport.pdf
Changing Customs Challenges and Strategies for the reform of Customs Administration. (October 2003). Electronic Access. Price: US$25.00
This book describes and reviews the key challenges that arise in ensuring that customs administrations perform their core revenue functions with minimal adverse impact on trade activities and the allocation of resources. The theme of the book is the potential for considerable benefit, to both public and private sectors, from modernizing customs administration in the light of continuing and rapid changes in the pattern, extent, and nature of international trade.
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/nft/2003/customs/index.htm
Changing Marketplace: Putting "e" to Work. 2003. (ITC/DTSS/03/412). Price: US$30 (Developed countries)/ US$12 (Developing countries and LDCs)
The CD-ROM containing information on ITC's various e-related training initiatives, diagnostic tools and advisory services designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises in developing and transition economies put 'e' to work and overcome the digital divide - also contains best practice cases on e-trade, and a selection of related ITC publications and links to other organizations' web site addresses.
http://www.intracen.org/eshop/welcome.htm
Customs Administration: Impediments to trade and investment, South Asia FDI Roundtable, Maldives 9-10 April 2003. (On-line publication).
This report looks at the issues that contribute to the quality of the customs environment and ways in which various countries have attempted to implement reforms in customs administration. It draws on lessons from the reform experiences examined, and concludes with a discussion of emerging issues for customs administration.
http://www.fias.net/Conferences/030403%20Filmer.pdf
The Drivers of the New Economy in APEC: Innovation and Organizational Practices. October 2003. (PDF-Format, 744 Kb). Price: US$30/US$20
There is a widening recognition of the fact that a new factor of production, knowledge, is entering the production process, and this is not only changing how goods are produced, but is transforming entire economies. The Economic Committee has recognised the importance of this development, and supported research by member economies that seek to understand the nature and causes of the creation of knowledge-based economies (KBEs), and to consider how public policy can support KBEs.
http://www.apecsec.org.sg/apec/publications/new_publications.html
FDI and Investment Climate in the CIS Countries. IMF Policy Discussion Paper 03/5. November 2003. (PDF File, 260Kb). Price: US$15.00
This paper examines capital flows into the CIS countries and their investment climate. Level and composition of inward FDI flows into the CIS countries over the last decade, including the role of privatization, and FDI in energy-abundant CIS countries are organized in section II. Section III evaluates the investment climate. Section IV offers some conclusions and policy implications.
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/pdp/2003/pdp05.pdf
Of Openness and Distance: Trade Developments in the Commonwealth of Independent States, 1993-2002. IMF Working Paper No. 03/207. Published: October 2003. (PDF File, 289 Kb). Price: US$15.00
This paper analyzes developments in the structure of trade in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) during the transition decade. Trade openness of the CIS increased between 1993 and 1997, but has fallen to a lower-level since then owing to regional and country-specific factors. These include slower progress in transition, geographic aspects, restrictions on trade, governance and corruption problems, weak infrastructure, lack of regional cooperation, and political conflicts. Trade openness of the CIS countries would likely increase substantially if market-oriented reforms were pursued more vigorously.
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.cfm?sk=16776.0
Organizing Buyers-Sellers Meetings: A tool for promoting trade among developing countries. 2003. viii, 59p. Price: US$50 (Developed countries)/US$20 (Developing countries and LDCs).
The manual presents methodology for preparing and implementing buyers-sellers meetings within the framework of South-South Trade promotion. (Reprint of 1998 edition.)
http://www.intracen.org/eshop/welcome.htm
2003 APEC Economic Outlook. (PDF-Format, 4.58 Mb). Price: S$30/US$20
The first chapter of the 2003 APEC Economic Outlook reviews and analyzes recent developments in, and future prospects of, APEC economies and the global economy. In Chapter 2, structural issues are pursued to explore the role and development of Specialized Financial Institutions (SFIs) to a greater extent with the ultimate aim of delivering SFIs best practices. The Outlook also annexes some special information on Knowledge-based Economy (KBE) indicators, the economic impact of SARS on the APEC region, and economic consequences of terrorism as well as individual economy reports with information on their structural reforms.
http://www.apecsec.org.sg/apec/publications/new_publications.html
2002 APEC Economic Outlook Symposium: Microbanking Development, Regulation and Supervision in the Asia-Pacific Region. November 2003. (PDF-Format, 4.2 Mb). Price: S$30/US$20
This volume compiles the papers presented and discussed at the above symposium. There was a wide-ranging discussion on the subject of sustainable microbanking intermediaries and the various strategies to foster diverse and high quality microbanking services. The presentations covered both conceptual and empirical grounds, and were all extremely insightful. The symposium explored the need to focus on developing financial infrastructure, building viable institutions, and creating a policy environment conducive to microbanking.
http://www.apecsec.org.sg/apec/publications/new_publications.html
UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics 2003. (CD-ROM). TD/STAT.28/CD. Price: US$150 (Developed countries).
The handbook provides statistical data relevant
to the analysis of international trade,
investment and development, for individual
countries and for economic and trade groupings
on the following subjects:
 -
International merchandise trade: values,
trends and regional trade zones;
- Export
and import structure by products and by
regions of origin and
destination, and
related concentration and diversification
indices;
- Volume and terms of trade indices;
- Commodity prices and relevant price indices;
- Trade in services: total trade and trade
by sector;
- International financial data:
current accounts, foreign direct investment,
external indebtedness, workers? remittances,
etc.;
- Selected indicators of development:
GDP and various social and
telecommunications
indicators;
- Import tariffs.
http://www.unctad.org/Templates/webflyer.asp?docid=4326&intItemID=2068&lang=1
World Directory of Information Sources on
Standards, Conformity Assessment, Accreditation,
Metrology, Technical Regulations, Sanitary
and Phytosanitary Measures. 2003.
(ITC/T334.T/TSS/BAS/03-V).
xii, 118p. Price: US$50 (Developed countries)/US$20
(Developing countries & LDCs).
This trilingual
directory contains list of organizations
dealing with standards, metrology, and accreditation
by country with detailed contact information.
It indicates membership of regional and
international organizations, includes enquiry
relevant to WTO agreements on technical
barriers to trade (TBT), sanitary and phytosanitary
(SPS) measures, and contact points for specialised
organizations in related areas.
http://www.intracen.org/eshop/welcome.htm
B. SELECTED WORLDWIDE WEBSITES
http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/news/2003/23019-en.html
Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture
(AGORA)
Email: pierre.antonios@fao.org
AGORA,
Online Scientific Information on Food and
Agriculture for Poorest Countries, provides
access to more than 400 key journals in
food, nutrition, agriculture and related
biological, environmental and social sciences.
The AGORA web site has been developed in
cooperation between FAO and Cornell University,
with funding provided by the Rockefeller
Foundation.
http://www.edfi.org
Association of European Development Finance Institutions
(EDFI)
Email: edfi@edfi.be
Association of
European Development Finance Institutions
(EDFI) is a group of thirteen bilateral
European development finance institutions
aimed at private sector development in developing
countries and countries in transition. The
main objectives of EDFI are to foster cooperation
among its members and to strengthen the
relationships with EU institutions, especially
with the European Commission and the European
Investment Bank (EIB).
http://www.apecsec.org.sg/apec/apec_groups/committees/
Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI) - APEC
Email: ng_kim_neo@mti.gov.sg
Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI) works to reduce
impediments to business activity in 15 key
areas outlined in the Osaka Action Agenda
- tariffs and non-tariff measures, services,
standards and conformance, customs procedures,
intellectual property rights, competition
policy, government procurement, deregulation,
rules of origin, dispute mediation, mobility
of business people and implementation of
World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations.
http://www.eurochamberworld.org
European
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Eurochamber).
Email: hague@247chamber.org
Eurochamber, a privately-owned, non-governmental
Chamber of Commerce, provides opportunities
and platforms to network with existing and
prospective customers, suppliers and business
partners by:
-
Promoting transparency of resources and
services through networking,
cost effectiveness
and growth of businesses of the international
business community;
- Assisting businesses
to simplify their business procedures; and
- Supporting start-up businesses by providing
the necessary skills, and technology.
http://www.dti.gov.ph/contentment/66/67/775.jsp
Export Development Council (EDC), Philippines
Email: edc@dti.gov.ph
Export Development
Council (EDC) was created to strengthen
and institutionalize the national export
drive and supporting policy framework, with
the purpose of overseeing the implementation
of the Philippine Export Development Plan
(PEDP) and coordinating the formulation
and implementation of policy reforms to
support the Plan.
http://www.adb.org/GMS
Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS)
Email: gms@adb.org
Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) comprises
Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet
Nam, and Yunnan Province in China. In 1992,
with the assistance of ADB, the six countries
entered into a program of subregional economic
cooperation, designed to enhance economic
relations among the countries. Its goal
is to promote economic and social development
by strengthening economic linkages. The
program covered the following sectors: energy,
environment and natural resources management,
human resource development, investment,
tourism, telecommunications, transport,
and trade.
http://www.unctad.org/Templates/StartPage.asp?intItemID=2486
Investment Compass - UNCTAD
Email: investment.compass@unctad.org
Investment Compass is an interactive tool
for analysing the main economic and policy
determinants that affect the investment
environment. The Investment Compass permits
comparisons between countries, between a
country and a region, and between a country
and a best performer. The tool comprises
60 indicators based on international statistics
and on special national surveys conducted
by UNCTAD. The Investment Compass shows
a country's FDI benchmark in six major areas:
Resource Assets, Infrastructure, Operating
Costs, Economic Performance and Governance,
Taxation and Incentives, and Regulatory
Framework.
http://www.miga.org/screens/services/ims/ims.htm
Investment Marketing Service Department
(IMS), MIGA
Email: tsanmartin@worldbank.org
MIGA' Investment Marketing Service Department
works to equip investment promotion intermediaries
with leading-edge knowledge, tools and technologies
to strengthen their capacity to attract
and retain foreign direct investment. Core
services and products: Capacity Building,
Information Dissemination and Investment
Facilitation.
http://www.matrade.gov.my
Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation
(MATRADE)
Email: info@hq.matrade.gov.my
Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation
(MATRADE) is the external trade promotion
arm of Malaysia's Ministry of International
Trade and Industry (MITI). MATRADE functions
as a focal point for Malaysian exporters
and foreign importers to source for trade
related information by providing market
research information and relevant advice,
MATRADE assists Malaysian exporters to better
position their products and services in
the highly competitive global markets.
Information is taken mainly from secondary
sources and UNESCAP accepts no responsibility
for its accuracy. Mention of any companies
and their products does not imply endorsement
by the United Nations.
The designations
employed and the presentation of the material
in this publication do not imply the expression
of any opinion whatsoever on the part of
the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning
the legal status of any country, territory,
city or area, or of its authorities, or
concerning the delimitation of its frontiers
or boundaries.
©2004 United Nations
|
