FTAs trigger anti-dumping

Prusa and Teh have just done the number crunching to show what was suspected all along -that FTAs trigger anti-dumping disputes between non-members. Data replicated below and link.

Table 1. Antidumping activity by FTA status

	Target Country
	Non-FTA Country	FTA Country
Pre-FTA	506	370
	(58%)	(42%)
Post-FTA	3554	375
	(90%)	(10%)

http://www.voxeu.org/index.php?q=node/5515

At this stage however, Prusa&Teh have not disaggregated their data, and there is clearly alot more here. I would be interested to see the pattern of disputes and FTAs in the Asia Pacific, in any case.

It seems that FTAs really do run trade and politics concerns together - at some stage it will be asked whether this is rational. FTA as an investment policy anyone?

Australia: not worth it

Japan's Cabinet Office which runs the Foreign Policy Opinion Polling has had its budget slashed.

One of the unfortunate results is that polling on Japan's popular sentiment towards Australia will not be conducted this year - or subsequent years.

Currently only five countries are identified for specific treatment; America, China, Korea, Russia and India. Australia and New Zealand are not specified, instead being called 'pacific countries'.

This comes as a blow for those interested in Japan-Australia relations, and alternatives will have to be found.