Medellin, 12 December 2023: The Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) hosted a Policy Session, as part of the International Economic Association’s (IEA) 20th World Congress at the Universidad EAFIT in Medellin, Colombia. The policy session, titled ‘Recent Developments in East Asian Economic Integration’ featured Prof Shujiro Urata, Senior Research Advisor for ERIA President, as the session’s chair. Speakers from ERIA include Chief Economist Prof Fukunari Kimura, and esteemed Economists from ERIA, Dr Doan Thi Thanh Ha, Dr Rashesh Shrestha, and Dr Intan Ramli.

The session commenced with an opening by the Chair, and an opening remark from Enggartiasto Lukita, Former Minister of Trade of Indonesia, who served as Minister from 2016 to 2019. He shared perspectives on the development of regional trade agreements over the years. Looking ahead, trade agreements should prioritise advancing liberalisation, fostering inclusivity, and creating an environment conducive to the movement of goods and services. The aim is to develop more expansive and mutually beneficial trade relationships and enhance regional integration. He also acknowledged ERIA’s commitment to advancing East Asian integration through policy research and capacity building.

Speakers in the policy session offered insightful perspectives. Prof Kimura’s presentation emphasised international production networks, while Dr Ha addressed non-tariff measures in ASEAN, mentioning ERIA’s support towards ASEAN’s NTMs agenda. Dr Shrestha provided insights on East Asian trade costs and trade facilitation, while Dr Ramli’s presentation highlighted services and investment liberalisation in the ASEAN context.