Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the Waseda University Doctoral Student Network (WUDSN), we would like to invite you to the following presentation and discussion:

Title: "Patterns and Determinants of Regional Export Diversification in China, Japan and Korea: Using Highly Disaggregated Data"

Presenter: Farazi Binti Ferdous (PhD student, the Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies [GSAPS], Waseda
University)

Abstract: Asia begun emphasizing FTAs as a trade policy instrument in the late 1990s, and the region is today at the forefront of world FTA activity. The schedule and list of FTAs in the last decade clearly gives the picture of the cumulative FTA relations and that Japan is the leading country in that respect with its bilateral and plurilateral FTAs with the regional economies. China is in the second position with two bilateral FTAs and Korea has the minimum or most recent involvement in the action of regional FTAs. This study gives an attempt to find whether there is any change in the diversification pattern of regional export during the period (2001-2010) of booming FTAs in East Asia.
Recent research in international trade has focused on changes in trade patterns driven by countries starting to export goods that they had not exported before which are referred as changes on extensive margin or the new goods margin. Theoretical models as Melitz (2003), predict that changes in the underlying fundamentals of an economy, for example changes in tariffs due to FTAs, have an effect on the extensive margin. Thus following the model this study aims to test the hypothesis that FTA usage lowers trade costs bilaterally and thus expands the range of products traded between regional partners of East Asian economies. The highly disaggregated (HS 6-digit) level data is used in this study in order to pick up the FTAs impact on the extensive margin of regional trade in China, Japan and Korea. The study finds that there are changes in the extensive margin of export in the regional trade of China, Japan and Korea. It also finds supportive results with the thesis hypothesis that, FTAs affect export diversification positively.

Time and Date: May 29, 2012, 1PM
Venue: Room 309, GSAPS Building (19), Waseda University

Discussant:
Dr. Mustafa Moinuddin (Research Associate, Asian Development Bank Institute; Adjunct Lecturer, Sophia
University)

Peer Discussants:
Yuki Higuchi (PhD student, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies); Paulo Mutuc (PhD student, GSAPS, Waseda University)

Moderator: Takeshi ODAIRA (WUDSN Project Leader)

Free Coffee.

The Waseda University Doctoral Student Network (WUDSN)
strives to
create a stimulating environment in which participants
can engage in
horizontal and vertical exchanges with professors,
experienced
researchers, young scholars, activists, government
officials, and
business leaders. As such, WUDSN seeks to provide
opportunities for
doctoral students and researchers to present their
studies alongside
other scholars within, as well as outside, Waseda
University.

>From April 2012, WUDSN works under the Graduate School
of Asia Pacific
Studies Student Association (GSA: www.gsawaseda.org),

History and Description: www.gsawaseda.org/wudsn/

Call for Presentations:
www.gsawaseda.org/2012/04/26/call-for-wudsn-presentatio
n-bilingual/

Best regards,

Andre Asplund (PhD Candidate)
WUDSN Steering Committee
Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies (GSAPS)
Waseda University