According to the bank's website,  "This knowledge and support technical assistance (TA) will support development of a database on regional trade agreement (RTA) tariff commitments and several studies on the economic effects of mega-RTAs, the factors driving their successful implementation, and key policies to fully realize their economic benefits. These include market access aspects of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) such as tariff commitments, rules of origin, services trade liberalization, trade facilitation, e-commerce, nontariff measures, technical barriers to trade, and investment to improve understanding of their economic impact among policy makers, academics, the private sector, and civil society. These will support policy advice and capacity development of developing member countries (DMCs).

The TA is aligned with the following impact: Improved implementation of trade agreements in participating ADB regional members. The TA will have the following outcome: Increased knowledge and awareness among RTAs stakeholders (policy makers, government, private sector, civil society, and the public) of trade and investment effects of mega-RTAs such as RCEP and CPTPP (with other RTAs). This will be done through elaboration and dissemination of at least three high-quality studies to promote understanding, policy dialogue (among governments, private sector, civil society, ASEAN and ASEAN+3 Secretariat, multilateral organizations, and ADB-supported subregional cooperation programs such as the Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation Program), and raise capacity of policy makers to maximize RTA net benefits and manage costs. The proposed recommendations and database will support (i) further knowledge, such as flagship reports and other databases, and (ii) ADB's operational work, such as identification of regional public goods and subsequent investment projects, beyond the implementation period of the KSTA.

The TA will also deliver the following solutions and outputs: (i) Knowledge products with regional and country level policy recommendations delivered; (ii) Database on trade agreements with dashboard and visualization established; and (iii) Capacity building activities with public and private RTAs stakeholders delivered."

Responsible ADB Officer Crivelli, Pramila A.
Responsible ADB Department Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department
Responsible ADB Division ERCI
Executing Agencies Asian Development Bank
6 ADB Avenue,
Mandaluyong City 1550, Philippines

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