ASEAN-South Asia Trade: Primary Commodities as a Component in South-South Co-operation

For the purpose of this study, countries in ASEAN and South Asia are categorized as one region. The analysis in most instances will concentrate on major commodities such as cocoa, coconut oil, coffee, cotton, jute, palm oil, rice, natural rubber, tea and timber. This does not, however, preclude the application of many of the generalizations given here to the minor commodities whose export earnngs from these export earnings are generally less than those of the other commodities such as sugar, tapioca, pepper, coconut, maize, fruits and vegetables, etc. Further, this study will not cover fuels, minerals and metals, animal products and fishery products as their trading patterns may differ from agricultural commodities based on trees and plants. Moreover, steps which individual countries could initiate independently for the development of their primary commodity trade have been left out as they comprise a separate area of study.