• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.25-53
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• 2013

With the Korea-China FTA negotiations currently on the line, the importance of research into the FTA dispute settlement system has been increasing. In this paper, a comparison of Korea and China's FTA dispute settlement agreements concluded with ASEAN is contemplated, and implications for the future of the Korea-China FTA have been suggested. The FTA dispute settlement agreements with ASEAN concluded by both Korea and China provide perspectives on both sides. This agreement with ASEAN also provides a standard for the potential Korea-China FTA agreement. Specifically, the basis of these agreements with ASEAN is the same, although there are clear distinctions, described in a more detailed manner. A problem arises when there has been no discussion on dispute settlement agreements in Korea, especially of the agreement with ASEAN, whereas the opposite is true of the China counterpart. In this paper, Chinese academic FTA dispute settlement agreement studies have been also examined.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.139-148
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• 2016

There is an expanding global network of free trade agreements (FTA). High-quality, comprehensive free trade agreements play an important role to support global trade liberalization and are explicitly allowed under the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. An FTA is an international treaty that removes barriers to trade and facilitates stronger trade and commercial ties that contribute to increased economic integration between participating countries. Korea benefits from the global FTA trend; however it has started and developed FTA negotiations later than other countries. Current FTA agreements exist with Chile, Singapore, EFTA, ASIAN, India, EU, Peru, USA, Turkey, Australia, and Canada; in addition, there are ongoing negotiations with China, Colombia, New Zealand, and Vietnam. FTA open up opportunities for the textile/clothing industry to expand businesses into key overseas markets. FTA improve market access across all areas of trade to help maintain and stimulate the competitiveness of textile/clothing firms. This study examines the expansion of free trade agreements in light of changes in the international trade environment and the status of the Korean textile/clothing industry. Korea's textile/clothing export/import products and concession of tariff, country of origin covered under Korea-US/China FTA are investigated to identify problems. This study provides practical and policy implications for the textile/clothing industry in regards to the Korea-US/China FTA.

• The Journal of Fisheries Business Administration
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.45-66
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• 2017

Although the main objective of Free Trade Agreements (FTA) is market integration among member countries, there are limited studies supporting this impact. Our study explores whether FTA has enhanced market integration between South Korea and its FTA partners, focusing on South Korea's fishery product import market. We investigate two research questions concerning FTA impacts: first, whether trade costs declined when South Korea imported fishery products from its FTA partners after the FTA; second, if the speed of the convergence of South Korea-its FTA partners'price differential of imported fishery products on trade costs result to occur more quickly after the FTA. To determine these outcomes, we utilize a Threshold Autoregressive Model covering the sample periods from January 2002 to April 2017. Our findings demonstrate the effects of FTA on market integration are different among FTA partners. FTA has enhanced the market integration between South Korea and Norway, Vietnam, and Spain, respectively, but not for others. Therefore, we find positive evidence of FTA on fishery import market integration between South Korea and Norway, Vietnam and Spain, respectively.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.84-104
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• 2019

Purpose - This paper explains why free trade agreements (FTAs) are more popular than customs unions (CUs) in respect of tariff coordination. Design/methodology - This paper employs an equilibrium theory of trade agreements with tariff coordination. I set up three-country partial equilibrium model with competing exporters. Domestic and exporting firms decide their optimal production under given tariffs and each country levies its tariff under the trade agreements. I found stability of implicit tariff coordination and preference of each country between an FTA and a CU. Findings - I demonstrate that two FTA members can keep their external tariffs higher than separately decided external tariffs by keeping the status-quo. This implicit tariff coordination can benefit each member through trade diversion. In a CU, each member country must have a common optimal external tariff and it must incur costs because each country may seek different external tariffs for their own national welfare. The benefit of implicit coordination in an FTA and the cost of explicit coordination in a CU account for the popularity of the FTA. Originality/value - This paper uses the idea of implicit tariff coordination in trade agreements. In a CU, tariff coordination is explicit and mandatory. All member countries must have a single common external tariff for each good. On the other hand, in an FTA, each country establishes its external tariff with the goal of maximizing its own welfare. However, each country can also coordinate "implicitly" by keeping the status-quo after establishing an FTA.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.171-194
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• 2020

Although there is a lot of literature on the effectiveness of regional trade agreements(RTAs), it is usually analyzed only using trade-related theories and data. However, this paper has a differentiation in that we examine the linkage between international trade and financial markets through the stock markets reactions when the trade agreements related news arrived. Specifically, using an event study, we look into the Korea-US free trade agreement(KORUS FTA) which is the most commercially significant FTA in almost two decades for both the countries. Korean stock market generally responded more sensitively to FTA news than the US stock market, especially in 'Auto & Parts', 'Electrical Equipment' and 'Chemicals' industries. And the investors' perception toward the effect of KORUS FTA on Korean industries changed from negative to positive as negotiations proceed. Korea has a comparative advantage in the production of labor-intensive goods relative to US, but the economies of scale hypothesis does not hold.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.92-100
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• 2015

This paper examines the extent of China's market liberalization in the construction market seen through the point of view of WTO agreements and Korea-China FTA. Since the environment set by these agreements form the institutional background that Korean firms must work with to successfully access the market, the Korean government must work to reduce Chinese barriers as much as possible through international negotiations on these agreements. The paper sets out three goals for negotiations and the appropriate agreements and fora the government can use to advance these goals.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.391-416
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• 2009

The purpose of this paper is to provide an ideal agreement proposal for the satisfactory settlement of FTA origin criteria negotiations, which will be the most severe issue in both inter-governmental FTA negotiations to begin in the near future. Towards this end, we, the authors, based on our nine FTA related agreements already concluded with other countries, researched the concrete origin criteria in the previous origin agreements, analyzed the characteristics of these agreements, and derived the ideal origin rule. As a result, we came to the conclusion that in consideration of Korea and China's FTA's substantial transformation test, it's better to choose any one criterion from the following. Criterion 1: CTH (Change of Heading) and Criterion 2: Value Added Criteria by 40% within region. In addition, we also did that in calculating the ratio of value added, the calculation method and price criteria should be more simple and standardized. It led to the conclusion that the objective deduction method should be used mainly and that CIF or FOB should be used as the price criterion.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.42 no.6
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• pp.87-110
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• 2017

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the roles and effects of FTAs (Free Trade Agreements) in agroindustrialization, and to navigate its implication for the government support for the utilization of FTAs in the agriculture sector. The paper, in particular, is based on a case of contract farming, which has often referred as the key factor of agroindustrialization. By doing this, this paper has the importance academically in enhancing the study of FTA utilization to the study of agroindustrialization, and practically in exploring the implication for the FTA implementation policy that provides fundamental solutions to the issues of agriculture sector. As the results of this study, it is highlighted that the role of government that intermediates, monitors, and controls the equal and the fair relationship between the agribusiness firms and farms is essential for the further progress of agroindustrialization under the keen competition created by FTAs.

• Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.27-45
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• 2012

Among political scientists, Japan's free trade agreements (FTA) with member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been considered to be a political tool that can compete against China for regional leadership in East Asia. However, this paper demonstrates that Japan's so-called FTA diplomacy towards ASEAN nations serves the broad interests of Japanese actors in both the political and economic sectors. Given the attention to Japanese domestic political issues, it is argued that diplomacy primarily facilitates a need for free trade with ASEAN and ASEAN markets for Japanese corporations to compete in the global economy and for the government to nurture Japan's stagnant economy by assisting these corporations. This work also contends that the unclear function of FTA as an economic good is due to the lack of the government capacity to effectively manage FTA diplomacy. This partly results from the conventional view with regard to Sino-Japanese rivalry.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.141-165
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• 2007

This study aims to make a contribution to the promotion of trade and economic development of South Korea, and, at the same time, call attention to the increasing trend of investment agreements concluded within Free Trade Agreements (FTA) by examining theoretically FTAs and dispute resolution and investigating systematically the conclusion procedure of agreements, and the system, institutions, and jurisdiction of dispute resolution, and presenting these findings to the government and investors involved. The most problematic aspect in the legal process of arbitration involving disputes over investment is that of arguments concerning the right of jurisdiction. When a dispute arises, even though an investor files for arbitration at an ICSID institution, the parties become involved in another energy-consuming argument even before proceeding to the hearing and decision of the original plan in cases in which the respondent of the dispute files an objection to the decision rights of the arbitral tribunal. As the main basis for this type of plea, the point of non-existence of jurisdiction is first raised where the applicable dispute does not fall under the range of investments defined in individual investment contracts or investment agreements such as a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). To avoid an open-ended definition of investment for the range of investments, articles concerning investments in the FTA and NAFTA between Canada and the USA adopt the limited closed-list method. Article 96 of the FTA between Japan and Mexico applied the same abovementioned method of limited form of definition regarding range of investments and concluded BITs between member countries of APEC applied a similar method as well. Instead of employing the previously used inclusive definition, the BITs concluded between countries of Latin America and the USA are equipped with limited characteristics of an investment. Furthermore, to correspond with this necessary condition the three following requirements are needed : 1) fixed investment funding; 2) expected profits resulting from such investments; 3) and the existence of fixed risk bearing.