International Conference on Eurasian Economies

17-18 September 2013 – St. Petersburg, RUSSIA

Paper detail

Paper ID : 745
Status : Paper published
Language : Turkish
Topic : International Trade and Globalization
Presenter: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hamza Çeştepe
Session : 5B Uluslararası Ticaret I

Disincentive Factors for Transformation of the Economic Cooperation Organization to Regional Integration: An Assessment Regarding Intra-regional Trade
Ekonomik İşbirliği Teşkilatı’nın Bölgesel Entegrasyona Dönüşümünde Engelleyici Faktörler: Bölge İçi Ticaret Açısından Bir Değerlendirme

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hamza Çeştepe (Bülent Ecevit University, Türkiye)
• Ph.D. candidate Tamer Güven (Bülent Ecevit University, Türkiye)

Abstract

In this study, the structure and level of intra-regional trade in Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), which is a movement of regional cooperation founded in the Western and Central Asia region, has been analyzed. In ECO, with a share below its potential at the world trade, intra-regional trade is low relative to other regional integrations such as the European Union. However, the volume of intra-regional trade in the region countries, except a few countries, tend to increase in recent years. In this study, as a result of the evaluation made by the indices calculated, it was found that the region countries is in the position of more complementary economies in context of foreign trade; the countries has generally a high trade intensity with its neighbors; intra-industry trade in the region is at low level. As a result, although the level and structure of intra-regional trade in ECO region seems to be disincentive for the transformation to regional integration as of today, recent developments suggest that this obstacle will gradually diminish in the future. In addition, if some of advantages and potential of the region in terms of regional integration can be valued it does not seem very difficult to reach more advanced stages of integration for this cooperation movement.

JEL codes: F15, F14

Çeştepe, Hamza, Güven, Tamer (2013). "Disincentive Factors for Transformation of the Economic Cooperation Organization to Regional Integration: An Assessment Regarding Intra-regional Trade" in Proceedings of International Conference of Eurasian Economies 2013, pp.435-444, St. Petersburg, RUSSIA.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36880/C04.00745

Full paper in PDF format.

Session 5B: Uluslararası Ticaret I