• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.341-350
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• 2023

Purpose - How are gains from trade distributed between countries when economic integration is achieved through free trade? The purpose of this paper is to answer this question. Design/methodology/approach - This study attempts to address the issue of distribution of trade gains between participating countries following economic integration in terms of positive economics. The analysis is therefore based on a theoretical methodology. Findings - First, commodity prices fall and consumer surplus increases in both large and small countries. Second, when economic integration into free trade is achieved, gains from trade always exist in small countries. However, the size of trade gains depends on the degree of difference from the market size of the partner country, the large country. However, the size of the gains from trade depends on the extent of difference between the market size of the large country. If the market size of a large country is much larger and there is a large difference, trade gains will be very large, whereas if the market size is similar, profits of domestic firm will decrease. Therefore, in that case, the size of the gains from trade becomes relatively small because only the gains from exchange exists. On the other hand, in a large country with a large market size, there is a possibility of trade gains only when the market size is similar to that of a small country, which is a trading partner. However, if there is a large difference in market size, the decrease in profits of domestic firm is relatively larger than the increase in consumer surplus due to trade, and rather, a trade loss occurs. Research implications or Originality - Our analysis contributes to filling the gaps in the literature regarding the distribution of gains from trade, and from a policy point of view, it is meaningful in examining the impact of market size, an important variable considered in regional economic integration of countries.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-17
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• 2021

Purpose - The global trend of protectionism has expanded since the onset of US President Donald Trump's administration in 2017. This global phenomenon has led to a significant reduction in world trade volume and a negative impact on economic development in some countries where the external sector accounts for a large proportion of GDP. Although Korea is a country vulnerable to this deteriorating trade environment, few studies have examined the relationship between protectionism and its business cycles based on Korean data. Thus, this paper investigates the impact of protectionism on Korea's business cycle. Design/methodology - To identify future implications, we conduct a structural vector autoregression (VAR) analysis using monthly Korean data from 1994 to 2015. Macroeconomic variables in the model include the industrial production index, inflation rates, exports (or net exports), interest rates, and exchange rates. For the identification of the shock reflecting the expansion of protectionism, we use an antidumping investigation (ADI) data. Since ADIs are followed generally by the imposition of antidumping tariffs, they have no contemporaneous impact on tariffs and are also contemporaneously exogenous to other endogenous variables in the VAR model. We examine two kinds of ADI shocks i) shocks on Korean exports imposed by Korea's trading partners (ADI-imposed shocks) and ii) shocks on imports imposed by the Korean government (ADI-imposing shocks). Findings - We find that Korea's exports decline sharply due to ADI-imposed shocks; the lowest point at the third month after the initial shock; and do not recover until 24 months later. Simultaneously, the inflation rate decreases. Therefore, the ADI-imposed shock can be regarded as a negative shock on the demand curve where both production and price decrease. In contrast, the ADI-imposing shock generates a different response. The net exports decline, but the inflation rate increases. These can be seen as standard responses with respect to the negative shock on the supply curve. Originality/value - We shed light on the relationship between protectionism and Korea's economic fluctuations, which is rarely addressed in previous studies. We also consider the effects of both protective policy measures on imports to Korea imposed by the Korean government and on policy measures imposed by Korea's trading partner countries on its exports.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.457-475
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to analyze market competitiveness of Korean precision instrument parts in the chinese market. Korea-China trade has made rapid progress since establish diplomatic relations in 1992 and China become biggest trading partner of Korea in the present. For attaining the purpose of study, we collected related statistical data and used market comparative advantage index. From this analysis, following results were found. There are no items have competitiveness in the chinese market until the present time. However, item code 26041, 26034, 26022 are bound to be secure competitiveness in the chinese market in the near future and item code 26022 will emerge especially strategic item in the chinese market.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.31-46
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to explore the ways of improving Korean apparel firms' competitiveness by examining the Korea's number one trading partner U.S. apparel industry. Especially, the Los Angeles area apparel industry which is the second largest and the primary market center on the west coast was analysed. The following strategies are suggested to Korean apparel firms to function more effectively in incleasingly competitive U.S. markets: l)Basics can be produced in lower wage countries meanwhile quick turnaround and high quality works can be produced either in Korea or U.S. 2)Manufacturers might try to have direct relationship with powerful retailers who have their own private labels of store-brand lines. 3)Apparel companies can open market showrooms in the California Market Center. For small firms they can contact with independent representatives who receive commissions for showing lines for manufacturers or rent space for showing the lines during market weeks. 4)Apparel firms can contact buying offices to introduce their products to retail buyers. 5)Korean firms can contact Korean-American apparel firms to gain easy access to U.S.Market.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.183-213
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• 2011

China and North America have been South Korea's biggest trading partner long time. As the volume of trade has been increasing, the disputes between Korean companies and Chinese Companies and between Korean companies and North American Companies have been increasing. If these disputes are settled by Arbitration, the parties appoint arbitrators who are empowered to proceed the arbitration procedure and have a power to render an arbitral award. Accordingly, it is very important for the parties to select who is an arbitrators in Arbitration. But if the parties doubt their arbitrator(s)'s fairness and independency, they can discharge them in accordance to law and arbitration institute's rules. In comparison with arbitrator system for way of selection and discharge among Korea, China and North America, some differences are found. First, if parties fail to appoint co-arbitrators or the presiding arbitrator by a mutual agreement, the court has the right to appoint them or him in Korea and North America whereas the Chairman of CIETAC choose him in China. Second, the authority to decide whether arbitrator is discharged owing to his fairness and independency, depends on arbitration institute and court in Korea and North American whereas it depends on the Chairman of CIETAC only.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.185-226
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• 2015

As in some developing countries and more recently some developed countries worldwide and in the Asian region, Australia has faced significant internal opposition and public debate especially over treaty-based investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS). As outlined in Part II(1), concerns have re-emerged and escalated since the first-ever claim was brought against Australia regarding its tobacco plain packaging legislation, in 2011 by Philip Morris Asia under an old BIT with Hong Kong. However, Australia signed bilateral FTAs with Korea in 2014 and with China in 2015, including ISDS protections, prompting several sets of parliamentary inquiries (Part II(2)). Australia's close trading partner, New Zealand, had already concluded an FTA with China in 2008 that included more expansive ISDS-backed investor protections. In 2015, the New Zealand Parliament has been debating ratification of its own FTA with Korea, with ISDS also now attracting growing scrutiny, as elaborated in Part III below. In both bilateral FTA negotiations, the present Korean government seems to have reverted to a strong preference for concluding investment agreements with extensive ISDS protections, despite public and parliamentary debate around 2011 in the context of ratifying its FTA with the United States. As mentioned briefly in the concluding Part IV, Korea's stance has significant implications for the future trajectory of treaty-based ISDS - and indeed international arbitration more generally - in the Asia-Pacific region, and perhaps even globally.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.1-19
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• 2002

The fact that EDI is the IT system between partners implies the importance of studying the affecting factors associated with partnership in EDI. But there are few researches about the inter-organizational factors related to the relationship between partner firms, so called partnerships, influencing the implementation of EDI. Therefore our research is to investigate the relationship between partnership and EDI implementation with inter-organizational perspective. Additionally, we investigate the moderating role of EDI adoption attitude when the companies are divided into two groups, proactive attitude and reactive attitude. As a result, first, we found the positive relationships between the partnership factors about partnerships among trading partners and the degree of EDI implementation. Second, we expected that proactive firms have stronger significant relationships than reactive firms, but only the relationships between interdependence and integration, interdependence and utilization and trust and integration were proved to be signigicant among ten relationships. Third, we found positive relationships between EDI adoption attitude and EDI implementation.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.12 no.4
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• pp.235-253
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• 2010

The export is an important economic growth strategy in South Korea. South Korea is strongly dependant on external trades. Bilateral trade between China and South Korea has been grown rapidly in recent years. The China is now Korea's first-largest trading partner. Thus, the Korea-China Free Trade Agrement (FTA) in South Korea's trade operations is very important. A discussion of Korea-China bilateral FTA commenced in 2004 November. This paper is to recognize the phenomenon of major issued fields in the Korea-China FTA such as a manufacturing, agriculture, customs and seek a negotiation strategy that are summarized as follows. In terms of trade based on manufacturing, it is necessary to divide into a private, general reduction and priority reduction item to recognize whether it is complementary or competitive on the specific industry in the FTA negotiation by using an index regarding supplement and competition of these two countries. In particularly sensitive agricultural field, FTA should be progressed gradually after giving a certain period of time of grace period on the basis of various flexible tariff systems in order to minimize agriculture damage as a result of the rapid growth from import of Chinese agricultural goods.

• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.77-98
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• 1998

Electronic Data Interchange(EDI) is a relatively new technique around the world and enables the firm more competitive because of transmitting computer-generated documents directly to a firm's trading partner's computer across a telecommunication network. This study investigates the relationship among the organizational characteristics and information systems(IS) maturity, and the extent of internal and external diffusion of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) in Korean firms. The data for this study were collected from 131 firms that have implemented EDI. The results of t-test show that subgroups classified by industry, the extent of decentralization and formalization, and IS maturity, except the size of organization, are not different in the extent EDI diffusion. Also, the results of multiple regression analysis show that the size of organization is the major predictor of internal diffusion, and IS maturity and the size of organization are the major predictors in external diffusion of EDI. This study implies that the size of organization among organization characteristics and IS maturity should be considered as important variables for the diffusion of EDI system.

• East Asian Economic Review
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.227-253
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• 2022

Despite the proliferation of free trade agreements (FTAs), many exporting firms are still confronted with several challenges in utilizing the FTA preferential tariffs. Based on the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, this study empirically examines the factors affecting the utilization of FTA schemes by exporting firms. To clarify the key factors influencing FTA utilization, this study develops a conceptual model from the perspective of the adoption of information technology innovations. Eight factors derived from the TOE framework are proposed to explore the determinants of FTA utilization in export. Partial least squares structural equation modeling is employed to analyze the data collected from 162 exporting small- and medium-sized enterprises in the South Korean textile industry. The findings reveal that compatibility and trading partner influence are positively associated with FTA utilization, while complexity is negatively related. Factors of organizational context do not show any relationship with FTA utilization. This study is the first to theoretically analyze and empirically test the determinants of FTA utilization from the perspective of technological innovation adoptions. By examining the relative importance of TOE factors in the utilization of FTA schemes, this study expects to advance a holistic understanding on the perceived factors that could potentially affect the utilization of FTA schemes.