• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.33-56
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• 2022

Purpose - This paper explains how free trade agreements (FTAs) work as a building block to achieve global free trade and be better than other trade regimes. Design/methodology - This paper utilizes a trade liberalization game setup. Three countries choose a trade agreement strategy based on a given trade regime. Trade agreement is made only when all member countries agree. The paper evaluates each trade regime concerning FTAs and customs union (CU) by area size of global free trade equilibrium on the technology or demand gap between countries. Findings - FTAs make global free trade easier. In this game, there are two main reasons for failure to reach global free trade. First, a trade regime with FTAs makes non-member face difficulties in refusing trade agreements in the existence of a technology gap than a trade regime without FTAs. Also, a trade regime with FTAs causes it harder to exclude non-members in the existence of a demand gap than a trade regime with only CUs. Therefore, a trade regime with FTAs can work better in reaching global free trade. Originality/value - The concept of "implicit coordination" was used, which assumes that FTA members keep external tariffs for non-members the same as before an FTA. Without this consideration, FTA members lower their tariffs to non-members, and it makes non-member refuse free trade easier. FTA can prevent it sufficiently only with implicit coordination. This makes the trade regime with FTAs more effective to reach global free trade.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
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• v.28
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• pp.63-88
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• 2005

Korean government is planning to develop the airport and its surrounding area into a Northeast Hub of Asia. In accordance with the Free Trade Zones Act, Incheon International Airport Corporation is in charge of developing the free trade zone which will be located adjacent to the airport cargo terminals. The free trade zone plays an important part for the promotion of international logistics. So the purpose of this paper is to make research on the activation measures of the airport free trade zone for the building of a hub of international logistics. As for the research, this paper reviews the current regulations of the Free Trade Zones Act. Also this paper analyzes recent plans and reports on the free trade zone by Incheon International Airport Corporation and Korean government authorities. As the results of this paper, it will contribute to the activation of the airport free trade zone, and to building Incheon International Airport into the logistics hub of Northeast Asia, and to the inducement of foreigner's investment in the free trade zone.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.16 no.11
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• pp.37-45
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• 2018

Purpose - Recently, large quantities of factors have affected the signing of the Free Trade Agreement between two countries. Due to this background, this paper selects South Korea as an example to explore the determinants of Free Trade Agreement from Asian countries. Research design, data, and methodology - A cross sectional data of 2016 will be employed and some variables such as real income and GDP will be used to run an empirical analysis under the linear probability model, probit model and logit model. Results - The findings show that the Asian countries' exchange rate regime, real income, GDP and so forth can increase the probability of signing the Free Trade Agreement with Asian countries. Conversely, the distance can lower the probability of signing the Free Trade Agreement with Asian countries. Meanwhile, although the Asian countries' import, consumer price index and population also can affect the probability of signing the Free Trade Agreement with Asian countries, the estimated coefficients are not statistically significant at 5% level. Conclusions - According to the empirical results, this paper provides a new scope for South Korea's government to sign the Free Trade Agreement with other Asian countries.

• 중국학논총
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• no.72
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• pp.101-122
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• 2021

Over the past 20 years, labor standards have been widely used in free trade agreements. The U.S., the European Union and China have all aggressively signed free trade agreements with their trading partners, developing different styles on labor standards. According to the study, the implementation of the KOREa-EU FREE trade agreement has been hampered by ongoing disputes over the terms of the FREE trade agreement and the ILO since the korea-EU free trade agreement was signed. Because in order to break this deadlock, relevant scholars have done a lot of research, but mainly focused on the economic and trade field. Therefore, this paper for the first time systematically studies the substantive focus of disputes over FTA and ILO clauses, and carefully analyzes the domestic law amended by South Korea, and provides suggestions and inspirations for China by drawing lessons from the revision model of South Korea's domestic law. This is from a newperspective: the essence of the korea-EU FTA and ILO disputes is the conflict between international law and domestic law, and the conflict between free trade agreements and human rights protection. It holds that the essence of disputes should be sorted out from the perspective of legal principles and human rights protection, and the free trade and human rights protection should be actively coordinated. In order to make China more actively integrate into the international economy, China should adopt a positive attitude to revise and perfect its own laws, so as to realize the purpose of common development of international trade and human rights protection.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.53-67
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• 2020

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study strategic trade policies under international process research and development (R&D) competition with or without market leaders for free trade and a subsidy regime and compare the effects of R&D subsidies and export subsidies on the equilibrium levels of firm profit and social welfare. Design/methodology - For the analysis, we use previous work by Haaland and Kind (2008) and construct a differentiated goods duopoly model, wherein two firms compete via quantity in a third-country market for free trade and the subsidy regime. We consider simultaneous-move quantity competition when the two firms choose their quantities simultaneously and sequential-move quantity competition when they choose their quantities sequentially. The results are compared to those of Balboa, Daughety and Reinganum (2004), who studied export subsidies. Findings - The following are the findings. First, the results of firm preference orderings regarding firm position from Dowrick (1986) and Balboa, Daughety and Reinganum (2004) may not hold in our model when the firms' strategies are strategic substitutes under free trade. Second, the preference rankings under Cournot competition for free trade and a subsidy regime are the same as those in the strategic trade policy of export subsidy. Third, except for the cases of too close substitutes and complements, the results of firm and government preferences regarding firm position are different from those of Balboa, Daughety and Reinganum (2004) in that Stackelberg leadership in a subsidy regime is advantageous when the goods are substitutes but is disadvantageous when the goods are complements. Moreover, the equilibrium level of firm profit is the highest in the Cournot-Nash play when the goods are substitutes in a subsidy regime. Fourth, except for the cases of too close substitutes and complements, the results of firms' and their respective governments' trade regime preferences are similar to those of Balboa, Daughety and Reinganum (2004) in that a Stackelberg leader firm and government prefer free trade if the goods are substitutes and prefer a subsidy regime if the goods are complements. Furthermore, a Stackelberg follower firm and government strongly prefer a subsidy regime to free trade. Originality/value - By analyzing the effects of R&D subsidies and export subsidies in international markets, we can find similarities and differences between them in international markets.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.11 no.8
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• pp.21-29
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• 2020

Purpose: As one of the most developed cities in China, the application of e-commerce is more mature, especially the promotion of ecommerce to foreign trade. After the establishment of Shanghai Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in 2013, the government issued a series of policies to promote the application of e-commerce in Shanghai's foreign trade. This paper takes Shanghai FTZ as an example to study how to develop the application of e-commerce in other free trade zones and how to innovate the international trade mode. Research design, data and methodology: This paper selects the latest data from 2010 to 2019, uses econometric correlation analysis and regression analysis to study the impact of e-commerce on the foreign trade of Shanghai FTZ. Results: At last, the conclusion is drawn that the establishment of free trade zone provides many advantages for the development of e-commerce in Shanghai, and the growth of e-commerce in Shanghai FTZ promotes the development of foreign trade of Shanghai FTZ. Conclusions: So as to promote the development of e-commerce in Shanghai Free Trade Zone, some suggestions are put forward, such as increasing network supervision, establishing e-commerce talent training system, logistics management and information management systematization.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.9 no.7
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• pp.41-52
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• 2022

This paper analyzes the advantages and opportunities of regional development prospects of the China (Anhui) Pilot Free Trade Zone. In addition, it provides suggestions for the future development of the Anhui Pilot Free Trade Zone. The establishment of the Anhui Pilot Free Trade Zone is a major platform for Anhui Province, China, to serve the nation's opening-up strategy to the world and an opportunity for the Anhui region to enhance the level of an open economy. The development plan points out that the Anhui Pilot Free Trade Zone 1) takes institutional innovation as the core, 2) complies with the requirements of the innovation-driven development and promotion of the Yangtze River Delta regional integration development strategy, and 3) plays a vital node role in promoting the construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, and 4) accelerates the construction of scientific and technological innovation sources, advanced manufacturing and strategic emerging industries. The findings of this study highlight three critical achievements as follows: 1) optimization and improvement of the business environment have progressed, 2) the conversion rate of scientific and technological innovation achievements has increased, and 3) advanced high-tech manufacturing and strategic emerging industries are clustered and developed.

• East Asian Economic Review
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.425-461
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• 2014

This paper analyzes the impact of the Canada-Korea Free Trade Agreement on the basis of the published text and agreed schedule of commitments. We find that the Agreement reinforces existing patterns of comparative advantage between Canada (agriculture and resource-based sectors) and Korea (autos and other industries). The sensitive sectors that held up the deal for years - autos into Canada and beef into Korea - witness major trade gains, but are not unduly disrupted. In both economies, the major output gains otherwise come in non-traded services sectors, driven by income effects. We find that trade diversion effects are quite significant; this lends support for the domino theory of major free trade agreements - since the Korea-EU agreement broke the ice, the pressure has intensified on third parties to re-level playing fields by striking their own deals. The study breaks new ground in modelling services trade by developing policy impacts based on the extent to which the text of the Agreement modifies Korea's and Canada's scores on the OECD's Services Trade Restrictiveness Index and by providing estimates of Mode 3 Services trade impacts. The analysis of the Agreement as negotiated, the present study, in our view, is a step forward in understanding the impact of modern free trade agreements.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.9 no.7
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• pp.17-26
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• 2022

This paper analyzes the comparative advantages and development prospects of the China (Anhui) Pilot Free Trade Zone. Based on a SWOT analysis method, this study finds that the Anhui Pilot Free Trade Zone has a set of comparative advantages, including location advantage, rich resources, industrial transformation and new industries, technological innovation capabilities, new patterns for development, and policy support. In recent years, by leveraging its key resources, Anhui Province has been committed to developing an open economy. Furthermore, its economic vitality has increased significantly under preferential policies such as the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Europe International Freight Shuttle, and the Yangtze River Economic Belt Development Plan. As a result, the total foreign trade has continued to grow. The findings of this study highlight that the comparative advantages are of great significance to the development of the Anhui Pilot Free Trade Zone, which helped expand the scope and openness of the regional economy and foreign investment. However, to achieve the development objectives of the Anhui Pilot Free Trade Zone as planned, these comparative advantages must be developed and converted into a set of sustainable competitive advantages for the regional economy. Therefore, a few development suggestions are put forward.

• Asia-Pacific Journal of Business
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.187-203
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• 2021

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of non-tariff barriers on the Free Trade Agreement. Currently, it has achieved significant export effects by signing free trade agreements with many countries in Korea. However, most countries have implemented non-tariff barriers to protect their industries. This study analyzes the effects of non-tariff barriers in counterpart countries that have signed a free trade agreement. Design/methodology/approach - For analysis, first, prior studies were summarized, and second, the current status of free trade agreements and non-tariff barriers were identified. And, based on the current situation, the relationship between non-tariff barriers and export volume was analyzed. The targets of analysis are the United States, China, and Vietnam, which are Korea's three largest exporters. As for non-tariff barriers, anti-dumping tariffs, countervailing tariffs, and emergency import restrictions were analyzed as import regulatory measures. Findings - In the case of the United States, it can be seen that the decline in textiles, steel and electronics sectors is even greater. In the case of China, it can be seen that exports declined after imposing non-tariff barriers in the steel sector. Finally, it can be seen that exports declined after Vietnam implemented a non-tariff barrier on the steel sector. It was found that non-tariff barriers offset the effects of the Free Trade Agreement. Research implications or Originality - Currently, Korea has free trade agreements with numerous countries. However, after the free trade agreement entered into force, the number of annual average import regulation investigations for Korean products is on the rise. In the end, the implementation of non-tariff barriers is offsetting the effects of free trade agreements. Therefore, when signing a free trade agreement, it is necessary to thoroughly prepare for import regulatory measures such as the insertion of provisions of non-tariff barriers.