This report provides a comprehensive assessment of trade-related regulatory frameworks – covering both conventional and digital domains – across seven Indo-Pacific economies: Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Fiji and Samoa. The analysis focuses on identifying regulatory inconsistencies, non-tariff barriers and institutional gaps that hinder cross-border trade, with the objective of informing a phased roadmap towards regulatory coherence and regional economic integration.
The landscape of international trade is undergoing a rapid transformation, driven by accelerating digitalisation and deepening economic interlinkages. As cross-border commerce becomes increasingly complex and technology-driven, the demand for cohesive, transparent and forward-looking regulatory systems has never been greater. This challenge is particularly pronounced in the Indo-Pacific – a region marked by strategic importance and economic dynamism, where countries with diverse regulatory traditions and capacities are striving to enhance connectivity and cooperation. However, despite expanding networks of bilateral, regional and multilateral trade agreements, significant regulatory divergence – across both conventional trade mechanisms and emerging digital frameworks – continues to hinder the region’s ability to
unlock its full trade potential.
This study undertakes a detailed examination of regulatory frameworks across seven Indo-Pacific countries: Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Fiji and Samoa (hereafter referred to as the selected Indo- Pacific countries). These economies were chosen to capture a broad spectrum of development contexts, encompassing advanced economies, emerging markets and small island developing states. The selected jurisdictions exhibit significant variation in institutional capacity, legal frameworks, market scale and levels of digital maturity.
The objective of the study is threefold.
1. Assess the current alignment of domestic trade regulations with international standards (e.g. World Trade Organization (WTO) Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Cross-Border Privacy Rules (CBPR)).
2. Identify key regulatory gaps, inconsistencies and non-tariff barriers (NTBs) that hinder both conventional and digital trade.
3. Propose a phased and pragmatic roadmap to improve regulatory coherence and promote regional economic integration.
