Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam have been working together with Australia to improve trade policy an d analysis of trade-related issues under the AusAID funded Trade Analysis and Reform Project  (TARP).

Subsidiary Arrangement has been signed between the Governments’ of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam and Australia in regard to the Trade Analysis and Reform Project.


Signing of the TARP Subsidiary Arrangement
Right: His Excellency, Mr Cham Prasidh, Senior Minister,
Ministry of Commerce, Cambodia. Left: Her Excellency,
Ms Lisa Filipetto, Australian Ambassador to Cambodia,
Department of Foreign Affairs

TARP Research topics, Project Partners and other Participating Agencies

TARP Training Round research topics, names of Partner and other Participating Agencies are provided below.

TARP in Cambodia

Training Round 1:

Topic 1: Constraints and Opportunities for Cashew Nuts Export in Cambodia

Topic 2: Core Labor Standard on Garment Exports to the US

Training Round 2:

Topic 1: Cambodia rice export promotion in post WTO accession

Topic 2: Promotion of soybean production and exports in selected Asian markets

Topic 3: Technical barriers to trade in key export markets for the Cambodian food industry - soybean and rice

Training Round 3:

Topic 1: Market access opportunities for Cambodian fish sauce exports

Topic 2: Issues affecting the development of Cambodian maize export

Topic 3: Market access issues affecting Cambodian cassava exports

Training Round 4:

Topic 1: The Role of Quality Standards on the Returns for Natural Exports

Topic 2: Policy Measures and Economic Constraints Affecting Cambodian Exports on Paddy Rice

Topic 3: Food Safety Standards and their Implications for Trade and Domestic Sales of Food Products

Project Partner in Cambodia
Ministry of Commerce Cambodia
www.moc.gov.kh

Other Participating Agencies in Cambodia
Ministry of Industry, Mine and Energy, including:

• Department of Industrial Standard, Ministry of Industry, Mine and Energy
• Department of Industrial Standard, Ministry of Industry, Mine and Energy

• Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
• Department of Planning and Statistic, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
• Agricultural Legal Affairs Department, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries

• Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Commerce
• Multilateral Trade Department, Ministry of Commerce
• Department of Notification and Legal Compliance, Ministry of Commerce

ASEAN Department, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Inspection

For economic and trade information on Cambodia, click on the web link below
http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/fs/cmbd.pdf

TARP in Lao

Training Round 1:

Topic 1: The Relationship between the Laos Import Management/Monitoring System and WTO Rules

Topic 2: Market Access for Animal Feed Corn grown in Selected Northern Provinces, Lao PDR

Topic 3: Reform of Distribution of Goods Systems in Lao PDR

Training Round 2:

Topic 1: Market access for Laos rubber products in key export markets

Topic 2: Protection of Laos cement industry under trade liberalizationets

Topic 3: Empirical analysis of Lao coffee export competitiveness

Training Round 3:

Topic 1: Options to improve market access opportunities for exports in cassava in Lao PDR

Topic 2: Options to support the Lao tourism industry in WTO accession

Topic 3: : Options to expand the Lao insurance industry in WTO accession

Training Round 4:

Topic 1: Improving the Competitiveness of the Telecommunications Sector in Lao PDR

Topic 2: Options to Promote the Competitiveness of the Lao Wood Industry

Topic 3: Preparing the Lao Banking Sector for Competition in the Wake of Trade Liberalisation

Project Partner in Lao PDR
Ministry of Industry and Commerce
www.moc.gov.la/lao/index.asp

Other Participating Agencies in Lao PDR
Ministry of Industry and Commerce including:

• Foreign Trade Policy Department, Ministry of Industry and Commerce
• Multilateral Trade Policy Division, Foreign Trade Policy Department, Ministry of Industry and Commerce
• Permanent Secretary Office, Ministry of Industry and Commerce
• Domestic Trade Department, Internal Trade Department, Ministry of Industry and Commerce
• Economic and Trade Research Institute, Ministry of Industry and Commerce
• Cabinet Office (Planning and Cooperation Division), Ministry of Industry and Commerce

• Department of Investment Promotion, MPI
• National Economic Research Institute (NERI)

For economic and trade information on Lao PDR, click on the web link below
http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/fs/laos.pdf

TARP in Thailand

Training Round 1:

Topic 1: Rules of Origin in FTAs: A Case Study of Thailand

Topic 2: Tariff rate quotas on agricultural products

Topic 3: Trade Facilitation for promoting Thailands intra regional trade

Training Round 2:

Topic 1: Assessing barriers to Thailands investment in ASEAN countries

Topic 2: The impact of WEE regulations on Thailands electronics and electrical exports

Topic 3: Structural adjustment for Thailands trade liberalisation

Training Round 3:

Topic 1: Non-tariff measures in China: market access obstacles under ASEAN China FTA

Topic 2: Thailands response to EU REACH (Chemical import) regulations

Topic 3: Improvement to rules of origin under FTA arrangements, impact on food processing

Training Round 4:

Topic 1: Thailands negotiation policy towards ASEAN plus 6 - A Case Study on Trade in Goodsrts

Topic 2: Competition Policy in Free Trade and Integration Agreements: approaches for Thailand

Topic 3: Preference Utilisation under Thailands Free Trade Agreements: agricultural and related export products

Project Partner in Thailand
Ministry of Commerce Thailand
www.moc.go.th

Other Participating Agencies in Thailand
International Institute for Trade & Development
www.itd.or.th

Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives
www.moac.go.th

• Bureau of International and Macroeconomic Policy, Ministry of Finance

• Department of Trade Negotiations, Ministry of Commerce
• Department of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce
• International Trade Strategy Agency, Ministry of Commerce

For economic and trade information on Lao PDR, click on the web link below
http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/fs/thai.pdf

TARP in Vietnam

Training Round 1:

Topic 1: Policy Options on Government Support to develop infant industries (Products) of Vietnam beyond the WTO Accession

Topic 2: An Analysis on Implications and Impact of Vietnam Opening its Distribution Service Sector to Foreign Competition after WTO Accession

Topic 3: Import Control in the context of Vietnams Commitment Implementation of AFTA and WTO

Training Round 2:

Topic 1: Improving the competitive performance of Vietnams main ports

Topic 2: Analysis of the social and economic effects of opening Vietnams distribution market under WTO commitments

Topic 3: Policy options for great effectiveness of controls of iron and steel waste material imports

Training Round 3:

Topic 1: Experience of selected countries on policies towards franchising, some options for Vietnam for improving state management of franchising

Topic 2: Policy options to promote production of raw material (maize) for feedstock in Vietnam

Topic 3: The criterion in state management for investment activities in trade infrastructure of supermarket and trade centres

Training Round 4:

Topic 1: Competition Policy and the Provision of Internet Services in Vietnam

Topic 2: Misleading Indications and Competition Policy

Topic 3: Economic groups: developments and its linkages toward economic concentration

Project Partner in Vietnam
Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) (Formerly Ministry of Trade)
www.mot.gov.vn

Other Participating Agencies in Vietnam
Ministry of Industry and Trade including:

• National Advanced Training Institute (NATI)
• Domestic Trade Policy Department
• Planning & Investment Department
• Science Division, Trade Planning and Investment Department
• Safety Technical and Industrial Environment Agency
• Industry Strategy and Policy Institute
• Vietnam Competition Administration Department (VCAD)

• Trade and Service Dept, Ministry of Planning and Investment
• Department of Trade and Services, Ministry of Planning and Investment

• Institute of Economics and Development Studies

• Maritime Agency, Ministry of Transport

• National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam

Ministry of Posts and Telemetric
mic.gov.vn/details_e.asp?Object=271032875&news_ID=13648450

Central Institute for Economic Management (CIEM)
www.ciem.org.vn

Sumitomo Corporation
www.sumitomocorp.co.jp/english/company/point/seasia.html

For economic and trade information on Vietnam, click on the web link below
http://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/fs/viet.pdf