Migration and trade

As noted, trade in goods and services and migration are interconnected. The Asia-Pacific region has seen growing migration flows over recent years. Trade, both intraregional and with global partners, has also expanded rapidly over the past two decades as the Asia-Pacific has emerged as the most dynamic region of the world economy. While the movement of goods and services influences the movement of people, and vice versa, the linkages are both direct and indirect. The following section reviews some of the connections between trade and migration explored in the literature. Subsequent sections consider, first, the explicit developmental impacts of migration flows, and then, second, how labour migration is managed - globally, regionally and bilaterally – including the treatment of migration issues in the context of trade agreements.

Related Subject(s): International Trade and Finance