The 2011 Report, under the theme “Post-crisis Trade and Investment Opportunities,” is an annual report of ESCAP. It is the only publication in the region providing data for a large number of trade performance indicators for most of the 58 regional members of ESCAP including export and import growth rates, shares in intraregional trade, services trade, FDI changes, indicators of trade facilitation, tariff levels and number of RTAs and their trade coverage. Analysis of key issues for the region, such as preferential trade agreements, linkage between trade, investment and climate change mitigation policies, and the centrality of China in the Asian century are featured. In particular, the Report shows how mitigation and adaptation measures associated with climate change can be converted to trade and investment opportunities.

According to the Report, there are several factors at work in support of Asia and the Pacific becoming more resilient to external shocks and maintaining the growth trajectory, including the expected robust growth and massive urbanization in the region, especially in China and India. The Report also identifies new regional trade and investment opportunities in climate-smart goods and technologies – an area in which China has taken a commendable lead.