Event: 'The Roadmap for East Asian Regionalism'

Date: Friday, February 25, 2008
Venue: Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre Darling Harbour

This free seminar outlines the benefits and potential that East-Asian integration could bring to the Australian economy.

“This a great opportunity for businesses interested in the East-Asian market, and to gain an insight into the opportunities regionalism could bring", says Matthew Schneider, trade and development Officer, Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO).

The seminar will explore the recent progress towards the establishment of ERIA, the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia. ERIA is a policy-oriented research institution that aims to enhance the wider economic integration of East Asia.

Schneider outlines the following benefits to Asian countries thinking regionally:

• - Blunted access to world markets—East-Asian integration may be the key to achieving regional trade liberalisation.

• - Scale economies—large gains from regional integration are possible, if scale economies are present.

• - Guaranteed access to Japanese markets—for smaller East-Asian economies, a regional arrangement with Japan can guarantee future access to a large, industrial country market.

• - Regional goods—even when the rest of the world is open, there may be goods that are tradable only regionally, such as electricity between neighbouring countries.

• - More than trade—to the extent that harmonisation of policies across countries can help facilitate such movements, regional integration can offer unique gains.

• - Harmony—regional integration can help reduce political tensions and promote political harmony among former enemies.

The seminar will provide an opportunity to exchange ideas on the benefits and potential of the East-Asian integration and will also focus on ERIA's recent research on services trade liberalisation in the region.

To attend the 'free' East Asian Regionalism Seminar, please complete the application form located on the JETRO website at www.jetro.go.jp/australia/events/upcoming/ by Wednesday February 20.