{"id":1542,"date":"2026-08-09T19:12:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T13:42:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/psir-pyq\/what-are-the-impediments-in-the-development-of-south-asian-free-upsc-psir-2017-4301\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T21:25:21","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T15:55:21","slug":"what-are-the-impediments-in-the-development-of-south-asian-free-upsc-psir-2017-4301","status":"publish","type":"psir_pyq","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/psir-pyq\/what-are-the-impediments-in-the-development-of-south-asian-free-upsc-psir-2017-4301\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the impediments in the development of South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA)?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"pq-flow\">\n<div class=\"pq-flow-h\">Flow snapshot <em>\u2014 how the answer moves<\/em><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p1\"><span>Intro routes<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 1<\/i> in force since 2006 <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> intra-regional trade still ~5% against ASEAN\u2019s 25% <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> tariffs were never the real barrier<\/p>\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 2<\/i> the region cut the one barrier it could agree on <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> kept every barrier that mattered <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> an instrument narrower than the problem<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p2\"><span>Body flow<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p>NTBs untouched, focus on tariffs alone <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> trade costs 114% of export value, Brazil cheaper than neighbours <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> similar agricultural baskets, competitors not partners <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> India\u2013EU 2026 sharpens the contest for outside markets <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> political discretion overrides the text: May 2025 prohibition on Pakistani goods, SAARC visa exemption withdrawn, India\u2013Bangladesh port restrictions <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> <b>Wignaraja<\/b>: secretariats coordinate and monitor, no delegated authority<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p3\"><span>Counter-view<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p>informal trade across porous frontiers (UNESCAP) <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> official data understate actual exchange <span class=\"pq-ar\">\u2192<\/span> the constraint is the agreement\u2019s remit, not the region\u2019s appetite<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-fb\">\n<div class=\"pq-pill p4\"><span>Conclusion routes<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"pq-ft\">\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 1<\/i> SAFTA failed on what it was never allowed to govern<\/p>\n<p class=\"pq-r\"><i class=\"pq-rt\">Route 2<\/i> tariff cuts cannot move the 5% until NTBs, transit and enforcement enter its remit<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"pyq_year":[45],"pyq_marks":[38],"pyq_topic":[83],"pyq_paper":[69],"class_list":["post-1542","psir_pyq","type-psir_pyq","status-publish","hentry","pyq_year-45","pyq_marks-10-marks","pyq_topic-india-and-south-asia","pyq_paper-paper-2"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq\/1542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/psir_pyq"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq\/1542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4954,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/psir_pyq\/1542\/revisions\/4954"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"pyq_year","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_year?post=1542"},{"taxonomy":"pyq_marks","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_marks?post=1542"},{"taxonomy":"pyq_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_topic?post=1542"},{"taxonomy":"pyq_paper","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/psir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pyq_paper?post=1542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}