THE Center for Trade, Economic Policy and Research (CTEPR) forms an integral part of the IITM commitment in specializing trade policy capacity building and institutional support services for public- and private-sector clients and international organizations. Offers a unique blend of academic, governmental, and private sector experience through its delivery of practical training, research and advisory services. The Centre focuses on the effect of changes in the global, regional and sub-regional and bi-lateral economic and trade scenario with special emphasis on Bangladesh for sustainable development. To convert its vision into reality, the Center facilitates and carries out research, field-level surveys, conferences and seminar involving policy makers, members of the public and national and international organizations.

Major areas of activities of the CTEPR:

Multi-lateral Trade and Economic Issues

 One of the important areas of CTEPR activities relates to the multilateral trading system. The emergence of World Trade Organisation (WTO) with the concept of competition, open and free market economy has transformed the earlier scenario into a more globalized rule-based economy and trade. 

 Globalization has made the world economy more integrated. Integration into the multilateral trading system, however, entails short- and long-term costs, especially for developing countries as there will be a continual need to address loss of employment, displacement of local production, erosion of preferences, loss of fiscal revenue from trade taxes and exposure to world market volatility. Coherence of trade with international financial systems is necessary in order to genuinely improve development prospects, which in many developing countries are undermined by continuing high debt repayments and other financial outflows. Moreover, efforts to ensure development gains must be based on an objective and realistic evaluation of the actual experience of developing countries and the influence of developed countries’ policies.

 Considering the potential gains from the multilateral trading system, all countries have a shared interest in the success of the WTO Programs. This means giving priority to the core trade liberalization and development issues, such as market access (agriculture, manufactures, services) and market entry issues (non-tariff barriers, SPS, TBT, environmental standards, concentrated market structures), market distortion issues (dumping and subsidies), implementation issues, special and differential treatment, concerns of LDCs, technical assistance, trade and transfer of technology, and trade, debt and finance.

Regional/ Sub-regional/ Trilateral /Bilateral Trade and Economic Issues

Another important area of CTEPR activities is to study Regional/ Sub-regional/ Tri-lateral/ Bi-lateral Trade and Economic Issues. Today, more than one-third of global trade takes place between countries that have some form of reciprocal RTA. RTAs being used in restructuring trading relations. Need to address burning issues of characteristics of RTAs. Whether RTAs are promoting or hindering development for member countries. Proliferation effect of RTAs good or bad, etc.  Impact of Regionalism vis-à-vis Mmultilateralism due to the slow pace of multilateral liberalisation.

Other areas of CTEPR activities