Gearing up for Trade—Evaluating Australia's Contribution to Trade Facilitation in South East Asia and the Pacific

Trade facilitation refers to the simplification and harmonisation of international trade procedures to assist the movement of goods. It is a key factor for international trade efficiency and the economic development of countries. It has gained world prominence and recognition under the World Trade Organization's (2015) Trade facilitation agreement. Trade facilitation obstacles are now considered bigger barriers to trade than tariffs and quotas. Developing countries are increasingly looking at trade facilitation measures to enhance administrative efficiency and effectiveness, reduce costs and time to markets, and increase predictability in global trade. But how is Australia positioned to assist countries with this transition? The Gearing up for trade evaluation assessed the effectiveness of Australia's support for trade facilitation in Asia and the Pacific, and examined whether the investments have assisted partner countries to better integrate with regional and global economies. The evaluation focussed on four major Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) trade facilitation investments and found that they have been effective in addressing capacity issues, encouraging pro-poor outcomes, and exemplify good global practice. To assist with future programming, the evaluation recommended some practical improvements to the DFAT program and investment managers in the use of integrated approaches, private sector engagement, gender equality and women's economic empowerment, and monitoring and evaluation.