• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.1-26
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• 2019

Purpose - This paper investigates the recent trade collapse, recovery, and prolonged slowdown to shed light on the discussions about whether the current slowdown is structural or cyclical. I examine structural, cyclical, and heterogeneous aspects of the recent trade trends using detailed statistics of a small open economy, South Korea, whose economic success and growth have been heavily dependent on exports. Design/methodology - I use both aggregated and disaggregated trade statistics of South Korea. I apply the following methodologies: 1) I decompose the trade growth into the extensive and the intensive margin and observe the effect of prices over time. 2) I estimate the trade-income elasticities focusing on the world's import demand, separately for goods from the world and from Korea. 3) I compare the drop in goods exports in slowdown and trade collapse, which are the two unusual periods in the recent history when world trade has substantially dropped altogether. Findings - I show that while the last drop of trade after 2015 has cyclical aspects, there is evidence that the continued slowdown from 2012 is structural: 1) the so-called 'China factor' is found in the analysis of trade-income elasticity of the world and China for imports from Korea. 2) The bilateral trade barriers between Korea and its principal trading partners are universally tightening. 3) Firm sizes, destination countries, and the mode of transactions affect disaggregated trade flows during the slowdown periods. Originality/value - This paper contributes to the debate regarding whether the current trade slowdown is structural or cyclical. I provide two concrete evidence that the export drop in 2015 stems from low oil prices: one is the divergence of Korean export value index from its export quantity index, which started in late 2014 when oil prices plunged. I also contribute to the literature by providing evidence that Korea's trade barriers with important trading partners are steadily increasing since 2012 as the protectionist measures toward Korea's export products are steeply increasing after the global financial crisis.

• Journal of Distribution Research
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.61-79
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• 2010

As the interest and the importance of environmental protection increases rapidly, the environment considers to be not only the item that requires a control and a duty fundamental element but the fundamental element to enhance the internection icompetitiveness n so. Along with the collapse of the foreign trade barrier and the quality improvement of a customer's life qu life of a an object is shortened liforder to sectsfy the customer's lemands and as the result of it quaother critical issues rmparding the waste treatment and recasles are now thought to be momentou onlyaddition to the issue of the greenhou e gases reduction that is considered as one of me q issues among many internection ienvironmental issues. To keep up the pace with the environmental flow qube notd countries have nlreal iput their attempts to solve this environmental problems through a number of rmpulactios and acctios and they have showed a great concern for it as it is an internection iproblem that they should aasroaeronlythe aspect of not just a compan isr a country but of the wte e globn ivillage. Sueroenvironmental flow alemaned the logistic stratmpy of a compan iand it brought up the demand for the reverse logistics in a supply chain. For the reason above, the concept of reverse logistics and classification, the comparison with any similar concepts and its necessity are studied in this research through the theoretical consideration and the current state of the reverse logistics is organized in this research by acknowledging the domestic development process and the properties regarding the recycles of resources. In addition, the way to apply to the nation was investigated by comparing with the environmentalism development process, the reverse logistics policies and examples of advanced countries in logistics. The research proposed building of intimate cooperative system between a shipper and logistic service provider for the reverse logistics throughout the whole supply chain, the financial support, amendment of regulations, support Eco-friendly logistic technology development and the propagation, effective logistic system development and others and it is expected to bring a significant meaning to the reverse logistic policy and operation later on.