Singapore Varsity Study To Give Different Perspective On Non-Tariff Barriers In ASEAN

SINGAPORE, Oct 21 (Bernama) -- A study by the Singapore Management University (SMU), which is expected to be fully completed in March 2018, will provide a different perspective on non-tariff barriers (NTBs) to trade among the 10 ASEAN member countries, said Malaysian Minister of International Trade and Industry, Mustapa Mohamed. He said three professors of the university were vigorously carrying out the research related to the NTBs, the outcome of which was seen as very important for the ASEAN member countries. "This issue is a focus in ASEAN but not many studies have been undertaken. Hence, SMU will scrutinise among others issues related to land and legal restrictions," Mustapa said to Bernama during his two-day working visit to the republic recently. SMU is an autonomous university in Singapore that specialises in business and management studies. Elaborating further, Mustapa said the SMU had presented him an internal report on the study. "There are still many non-tariff trade barriers including for the SMEs (small and medium enterprises)," he said. Describing the research as important, Mustapa was also grateful to the SMU as its efforts would provide input to the trade ministers on methods to reduce trade barriers among the member countries. "It is still difficult to (carry out) export among the member countries following the disuniformities in terms of laws and languages. The SMU is looking to resolve these (issues)," he said. Generally, a non-tariff barrier is a form of restrictive trade where barriers to trade are set up and take a form other than a tariff that includes quotas, embargoes, sanctions, levies and other restrictions. According to a study conducted by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia, the number of non-tariff measures had increased to 5,975 in 2015 from 1,634 in 2000. -- BERNAMA