亚开行-非关税措施与过境时间和成本的影响——以中亚区域经济合作区易腐货物贸易为例（英）-2023.11-32页_370kb

Summary of Impact of Nontariff Measures and Border Crossing Time and Costs on Perishable Goods Trade in the CAREC Region

Objective

The study examines the effects of at-the-border (border crossing) and behind-the-border (nontariff measures) measures on intraregional trade in perishable goods within the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) region using a gravity model and empirical data.

Key Findings

• At-the-Border Measures: Average time and costs at border crossings did not show statistically significant negative impacts on trade volumes for perishable goods after controlling for behind-the-border measures.
• Behind-the-Border Measures: Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) regulations played a crucial role:
  • Increased trade for perishable goods (e.g., food and pharmaceuticals), while reducing trade for nonperishable goods.
  • Technical barriers to trade (TBT) positively affected trade, particularly for nonperishable items.
• Empirical Evidence: Using Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood estimation, the research found that behind-the-border measures create more opportunities to enhance trade, as front-end times and costs had insignificant or counterintuitive effects when regulated factors were accounted for. Data from the CAREC Corridor Performance Measurement and Monitoring system and UN COMTRADE were analyzed for bilateral trade flows.

Methodology

• Data sources included nontariff measures from UNCTAD, trade facilitation indicators from CPMM, and UN COMTRADE trade data.
• Gravity model was employed with controls for zero trade, endogeneity, and heteroscedasticity.
• Proxies for SPS and TBT measures distinguished between regulations' presence, frequency, and types (conformity assessment or product characteristics).

Policy Implications

Structural reforms in trade facilitation should focus on:

• Enhancing SPS laboratories and aligning regulations with international standards.
• Simplifying documentation and streamlining border processes to reduce trade barriers.
• Promoting collaboration among customs and agencies involved in perishable goods trade to improve efficiency and intraregional trade.

Overall Conclusion

The study demonstrates that addressing behind-the-border measures is more critical for boosting perishable goods trade in the CAREC region. Reducing border delays alone is insufficient; comprehensive reforms, including harmonizing SPS and TBT measures, are necessary to achieve sustainable economic growth and improve market access for small-scale farmers and entrepreneurs.