• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
• /
• 2007.06a
• /
• pp.61-61
• /
• 2007

• Korea Trade Review
• /
• v.43 no.6
• /
• pp.113-138
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this research is to analyze how the Chinese cosmetics certification system works as a Non-Tariff Barriers(NTBs) for Korean exporting companies to access the Chinese market. China is the largest market for Korea's cosmetic exports, but China's policy of protecting domestic industry has become a barrier to Korea's cosmetics exports to China. Therefore, this research, through the analysis of regulations of the Chinese certification system for imported cosmetics. revealed that there are such problems as ① information leakage ② duplication of inspection ③time delay. In order to verify those problems, surveys and face-to-face interviews with Korean cosmetic exporting companies to China have been conducted. In conclusion, Chinese cosmetics certification system not only protects its own industry, but also serves as a NTBs to disturb the access of imported cosmetics to the Chinese market in order to foster Chinese cosmetic industry.

• East Asian Economic Review
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.33-71
• /
• 2021

Many different approaches and databases have been developed for the evaluation of non-tariff measures (NTMs) and free trade agreements (FTAs). This paper is devoted to the EU-South Korea agreement, which is the first 'second-generation' FTA of the EU, addressing a wide array of non-tariff policies. We review the evolution of NTM types applicable to the EU-South Korea trade relationship and the role of NTMs in ex-ante and ex-post analyses of the agreement. Subsequently a structural gravity model is employed to assess the value added of information on different aspects of FTAs and types of NTMs by evaluating their ability to predict the trade effects of the EU-South Korea FTA. Our results show that, when accounting for information on the components common in modern deep trade agreements, no additional trade effect is attributable to the EU-South Korea FTA. The evolution of NTMs differs considerably across indicators used, but trade predictions are hardly affected. Most specifications point towards a negative effect of bilateral differences in the number of technical barriers to trade (TBT) applied and sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) against which trading partners issued complaints at the WTO.

• Journal of Korea Trade
• /
• v.25 no.6
• /
• pp.105-125
• /
• 2021

Purpose - This study analyzes the effects that the response to the technical barriers to trade (TBT), which are used by various countries as means to restrict imports, exerts on exports at a time when protectionism is emerging in the face of a global economic downturn. TBT has been widely used in developed countries for the safety and protection of their people. Recently, the use of TBT as a tool of protectionism has increased considerably in developing countries as well. Therefore, this study analyzes the South Korean SMEs' response and export performance. Design/methodology - To analyze SMEs' response to TBT and their export performance, this study conducted empirical analysis through statistical analysis. To this end, the research established a theory based on previous research and designed its hypothesis and research model. To verify the hypothesis and research model, factor analysis addressing validity and reliability was performed using SPSS 25 and AMOS 26, and the structural equation model was analyzed. Findings - This study found the causal relationship between the independent variable, the mediating variable, and the dependent variable adopted against the theoretical background to have little or no effect, in contrast with previous studies. In a break from previous studies, all hypotheses were rejected for innovation strategic competencies, one of the sub-factors of the independent variable, which is believed to be a result of the lack of practical research related to TBT. Originality/value - Previous studies performed analysis using trade statistics or macro data. A number of such studies analyzed the relationship between technical regulation and trade volume. This study differs from previous studies in some respects, because it analyzed the export performance of companies by establishing a hypothesis and implementing a research model with the factors analyzed in previous studies. In addition, a new attempt has been made by classifying the TBT response factors into technology competencies, human resource competencies, and innovation strategic competencies, and utilizing technology innovation and the export support system as mediating effects.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
• /
• v.67
• /
• pp.187-208
• /
• 2015

The Korea China FTA was signed on June 1 2015. It includes some concessions regarding major export items in the manufacturing sector for the protection of primary industries and preferential tariffs for a number of products produced in the Kaesong Industrial Complex. Primary industries are what the Korean government paid the greatest attention to. Rice was excluded from the negotiations from the get go, and was joined by 548 other food items including pork, apples, pears, beef, chili, garlic etc. These foodstuffs account for about one-third of the agricultural and livestock products that Korea produces, and are not going to be subject to tariff elimination. The results of the study are as follows: Korean government policy is to maintain of agri-food export support system, eliminate of agri-food non-tariff barriers, foster of agri-food export SMEs and expand of investment of foreign agri-food company. Korean firms strategy is to establish of regional marketing strategy, ensure of high quality agri-food and develop of food packaging technologies, establish of agri-food export logistics center and take advantage of the FTA preferential tariff.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
• /
• v.7 no.8
• /
• pp.213-224
• /
• 2020

The study assesses the impact of trade liberalization factors on changes in customs revenues in Vietnam. Research data was conducted between 2002 and 2017 on the official website of the Government's Web Portal and The World Bank. This paper uses the vector error correction model to estimate the short-term and long term relationship between data series. The results have proven that tariff reductions have a positive effect on short-term and long-term customs revenues in Vietnam. However, the implementation of other international commitments on trade liberalization has positive short-term and long-term negative impacts on customs revenues in Vietnam. The study's results also show that exchange rate has no effect on changes in customs revenues in the short term but it has a strong impact on increasing customs revenues in the long run. Based on these findings, the article also suggests a number of policies to ensure customs revenues in Vietnam in future. In order to ensure customs revenues, the government of Vietnam should: (1) having some policy to improve the efficiency of customs management in Vietnam; (2) Building appropriate VND exchange rate policy; (3) Establishing reasonable non - tariff barriers to prevent fraud and ovations cause losses in customs revenues.

• Journal of Korea Trade
• /
• v.23 no.7
• /
• pp.147-155
• /
• 2019

Purpose - As the U.S.-China trade war has become considerably worse, the Chinese government is considering applying non-tariff barriers to trade, especially local contents rule. The main purpose of this research is to check whether it is suitable for Korean investors to invest in the current Chinese capital market. Design/methodology - In order to check the stability of the recent Chinese capital market, we investigated the behavior of foreign equity investment (including Korean equity investment) in the Chinese capital market after China announced the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect (SH-HK Connect). In this paper, we researched whether international portfolio investment would or would not contribute to an increase the volatility of an emerging market's stock market (Chinese capital market) when foreign investors make investment decisions based on the objective of short-term gains by rushing into countries whose markets are booming and fleeing from countries whose markets are falling. Findings - The empirical results indicate that foreign investors show strong, negative feedback trading behavior with regard to the stock index of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE), and when the performance of foreign investors in the Chinese stock market was fairly good. Also, we found evidence that the behavior of foreign investors significantly decreased volatility in SSE stock returns. Consequently, the SH-HK Connect brought on a win-win effect for both the Chinese capital market and foreign investors. Originality/value - It appeared that the Chinese capital market was very suitable for Korean investors after the China's declaration of the SH-HK Connect. However, the win-win effect was brought on by the Chinese government's aggressive capital control but the capital controls could possibly cause financial turmoil in the Chinese capital market. Therefore, Chinese reform in industrial structure and the financial sector should keep pace with suitable capital control policies.

• Korea Trade Review
• /
• v.46 no.6
• /
• pp.1-19
• /
• 2021

This paper examines the impact of sanitary and phytosanitary standards (SPS) and technical barriers to trade (TBT) on Korean exports, taking global value chains (GVC) participation into consideration. Using product-level import data from 2000 to 2014, we find heterogeneous effects of importers' SPS and TBT on Korean exports depending on the degree and position of GVC participation. According to the results, trade restrictive effects of SPS and TBT are smaller for industries that are more deeply involved in GVC. However, trade restrictive effects are greater for industries located at a relatively upstream production stage in GVC.

• Journal of Korea Trade
• /
• v.23 no.4
• /
• pp.131-148
• /
• 2019

Purpose - Based on the Korea-China FTA as the starting point, this paper makes an empirical analysis of the main influencing factors of the FTA utilization and performance of SMEs. Design/methodology - Taking into account the relationship between the internal and external environmental factors on FTA activities and performance of Korea's SMEs, with PLS-SEM and data obtained by the questionnaire, Smart PLS was applied for the analysis. Findings - The recognition of FTA in SMEs has a significant positive effect on FTA utilization and performance, the international marketing orientation factor only has a significant positive effect on the performance, while the inadequate improvement of non-tariff barriers has a significant negative impact on FTA utilization. In addition, FTA activity has a significant mediation effect on two paths. Originality/value - This paper is of great practical relevance as a tool to enable SMEs to make effective utilization of Korea-China FTA and improve their imports and exports. The paper helps grasp the main factors affecting the utilization and performance of FTA for SMEs, also to establish FTA Business Model and FTA utilization plans for specific industries in the future regarding tariff and non-tariffs compatibility.

• International Commerce and Information Review
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.177-201
• /
• 2015

Korea-China FTA was initialized in 2015. Korea has a high level of dependence on trade for its economic growth, especially to China. Technical Barriers to Trade(TBT) among various non-tariff barriers is becoming increasingly important. Elimination of TBT is one of the key issues in which the South Korean government is interested since technical barriers significantly affect trade between the two countries. MRA has been considered as an effective tool to relieve such technical barriers. Several studies and surveys showed that MRA would mitigate the barriers of import and solve the problems that many companies face in international market. This study tries to seek utilization plan of MRA for Korea-China FTA. It suggests suitable utilization plan of MRA considering the difference of technical regulations between two countries. This paper has value in that it provides specific MRA strategies targeting China while other prior studies have merely analyzed the necessity of MRA.