• East Asian Economic Review
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.243-273
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• 2018

A consequence of global trade liberalization is that domestic regulatory policies have become a focal point for efforts to reduce the costs of engaging in cross-border production and exchange. This article discusses the general challenges of reducing trade frictions created by regulatory differences, focusing specifically on the role trade agreements might play in addressing regulatory spillovers. A case is made for a greater focus on plurilateral cooperation under the umbrella of the WTO.

• Korea Trade Review
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.187-213
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• 2016

Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and Trans-Atlantic Trade and Partnership Agreement introduce "regulatory coherence." Regulatory coherence refers to "the use of good regulatory practices in the process of planning, designing, issuing, implementing and reviewing regulatory measures in order to facilitate achievement of domestic policy objectives, and in efforts across governments to enhance regulatory cooperation in order to further those objectives and promote international trade and investment, economic growth and employment." This paper traces ideas dealing with regulatory reform and regulatory transparency as discussed in OECD, APEC and selected WTO agreements, examines the text of the regulatory coherence chapter of TPP and TTIP, then examines the regulatory reform system of Korea to see whether Korea satisfies the conditions set forth in the regulatory coherence chapter of TPP. The paper concludes that the Korean regulatory reform system mostly satisfies the requirements of the TPP chapter on regulatory coherence, but some additional procedural reforms are needed for laws proposed by National Assemblymen, and regional laws proposed by regional governments. Finally, the paper notes that the Korean government has been mis-translating regulatory coherence as regulatory convergence, which is a separate idea, and the government should correct its error as soon as possible.