Towards the Development of Philippine Agricultural and Service Exports in the Light of the Doha Round of Negotiations
By Raffy Madarang

Agriculture and Services are sectors where many developing (the Philippines included) and least developed countries find their comparative advantage in the international political economy. It is therefore of considerable interest on the part of the Philippines to prepare an effective negotiating strategy that will lock-in the gains that may be had from trade in these two sectors, keep developed country markets open to Philippine agricultural and services exports (particularly in Mode 4), and provide ample shelter for competitive domestic agricultural producers and service providers from unfair trade. This paper discusses the relevance of these two sectors in the Philippine economy and society, the state of play at the Doha Round negotiations, and the negotiating positions taken by the Philippines to defend and express its interest before the members of the multilateral trading system.

ASEAN Dispute Settlement: A Decade Hence
By Raffy Madarang

A number of scholars and practitioners in the field of international trade and economic integration consider the establishment of a vibrant and effective dispute settlement mechanism as a hallmark of any successful Free Trade Agreement (FTA). On a general note, it is statistically accepted that an expansion of international trade in goods (which is the primary objective of an FTA) and the volume of disputes or remedies filed among trading partners share a positive and proportionate relationship. Read more...

ASEAN Trade in Focus
By Raffy Madarang

One major aim of AFTA is to transform ASEAN into a single market, investment destination and production base where international businesses can set-up regional operations. The AFTA framework was envisioned as a catalyst that would instill harmony, stability, and transparency affording global companies a conducive environment to invest not only in a single country, but across the entire region. Through the reduction of trade barriers, companies are given the opportunity to more strategically and efficiently plot out their regional cross-border supply chains, drawing from the comparative advantages of each country. Read more...

The Road Ahead: Responding to Uncertainties in the Multilateral Trading System
By Jemy Gatdula and Raffy Madarang

The progress of multilateral negotiations at the WTO has lately run into a number of setbacks due to difficulties among developed and developing countries in reaching agreeable compromises and concessions on the critical issues of agriculture, non-agricultural market access, and trade in the services. Doubts and uncertainties have begun to mire the prospect of a speedy and substantial conclusion of the Doha Round talks, with developed countries pursuing bilateral trade initiatives as alternatives to the multilateral system. Moreover, nationalist agendas rather than foreign trade policies are expected to take center-stage with elections coming up for governments of major WTO players. This paper discusses what, in view of these uncertainties, a country like the Philippines may prioritize to enhance its capabilities and competitiveness whilst awaiting how the Doha Round will unfold.

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