Asian Economic Integration Led by Trade Liberalization: A Lesson for Other Regions
Developing countries have few options to deal with the ongoing tariff war amid unpredictable shifts in global supply chains. However, regional economic integration offers a strategic path of development in these uncertain and challenging times. Helped by geographical proximity and cultural familiarity, countries in a region can benefit greatly from promoting trade with one another, reaping the benefits of comparative advantages and economies of scale—if they are able to establish a large enough single market. Asia has successfully used regional cooperation and integration as stepping stones in its interactions with the rest of the world during the course of its economic development. Asia can thus offer lessons that other regions—especially Africa and Latin America—can benefit from.