Trade Facilitation and Economic Development: A New Approach to Quantifying the Impact
利用港口效率、海关环境等指标衡量贸易便利化，通过引力模型估计其对亚太地区贸易流的影响，发现提升港口效率效果最大，并量化了APEC成员改进后的贸易增长潜力。
This article analyzes the relationship \n between trade facilitation and trade flows in the Asia \n Pacific region. Country specific data for port efficiency, \n customs environment, regulatory environment, and e-business \n usage are used to construct indicators for measuring trade \n facilitation. The relationship between these indicators and \n trade flows is estimated using a gravity model that includes \n tariffs and other standard variables. Enhanced port \n efficiency has a large and positive effect on trade flows. \n Regulatory barriers deter trade. Improvements in customs and \n greater e-business use significantly expand trade but to a \n lesser degree than improvements in ports or regulations. The \n benefits of specific trade facilitation efforts are \n estimated by quantifying differential improvements in these \n four areas among members of the Asia Pacific Economic \n Cooperation (APEC). A scenario in which APEC members with \n below-average indicators improve capacity halfway to the \n average forall members shows that intra-APEC trade could \n increase by Dollar 254 billion, or 21 percent of intra-APEC \n trade flows.