A CGE ANALYSIS OF THE ASEAN+3 FREE TRADE AGREEMENT UNDER DIFFERENT MARKET STRUCTURES

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate the economic effects of possible free trade agreements among ASEAN+3 countries, and then compare the economic results of those FTAs. Our main findings are as follows. First, the trilateral FTA among Korea, China, and ASEAN (FTA_KCA) under the imperfectly competitive model, which would bring about a 1.02% increase in GDP for Korea, is the second-best choice for Korea. Second, according to the sectoral effects, we determined that the output of agricultural products would decrease when China joins the FTA. This is because China has a comparative advantage in the production and export of agricultural products.