The Impact of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Conformity Assessment of Telecommunications Equipment on Trade: Evidence from Taiwan

Abstract

We use Taiwanese trade data from 2009 to 2012 to examine the impacts of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Conformity Assessment of Telecommunications Equipment on trade. The results show that Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Mutual Recognition Arrangement for Conformity Assessment of Telecommunications Equipment can increase Taiwan’s exports of cellular phones and laptop computers to other Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation members. We also provide evidence that a mutual recognition agreement can reduce the non-tariff barriers caused by technological regulations and standards in some cases.

Keywords: APEC, Mutual Recognition Agreement, Trade, Gravity Equation

JEL Classification: F14, F53, F15