Having calculated the coverage ratio and frequency index of TBT/SPS measures of China, Japan and Korea (hereafter, CJK), I find that TBT/SPS measures vary across sectors but are especially prevalent in the agro-food industry.
The calculated coverage ratio and frequency index of TBT/SPS measures of CJK also implies that NTMs appear to have increased during the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and remained high in number afterwards.
Regulatory measures such as TBT/SPS measures related to goods give rise to challenges in international cooperation, due to their restrictive effects on trade.
Achieving harmonization across the three countries through regional initiatives can actually constitute a more flexible instrument than multilateral negotiations. The successful removal of NTMs at the regional level may require some delegation of authority to agencies at the supra-national level