Changes in services trade barriers in banking and their impact: the case of the ASEAN+3

Although there has been extensive research on the ASEAN+3 countries, which reveals a synchronisation of economic policies, including exchange rate management policies, research on the regional pattern of trade policies in the banking sector is limited. We evaluate the trade barriers in banking and their evolution, using data from three sequential surveys conducted by the World Bank and surveys by other international organisations. We find that the country dispersions in trade-restricting policies are stable over time. Moreover, we find no evidence of moves in the direction of liberalisation in the sector. The economic modelling undertaken provides an indication of the real income gains and the cost increases of the policies adopted.