Abstract This study examines the effectiveness of regional trading blocs in Southeast Asia utilizing the gravity model of international trade. The primary objective of this study is to determine which trading bloc – ASEAN, ASEAN3 or ASEAN6 – is most effective in creating preferential trading arrangements. We examine a comprehensive panel data for a sample of ASEAN's 10-member state countries spanning bilateral trade with 29 major trading partners over 17 years. The results reveal that the export volume of ASEAN member countries to AEAN6 member countries is 2.5 to 4 times higher than to non-member countries, thus indicating that ASEAN6 is the optimal group. In the latter portions of this paper, this paper provides policy implications to create effective and efficient trading arrangements.

中文翻译：

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东盟还是加阿尔法？区域经济合作的成效

摘要本研究利用国际贸易的引力模型检验了东南亚区域贸易集团的有效性。这项研究的主要目的是确定哪种贸易集团（东盟，东盟3或东盟6）在建立优惠贸易安排方面最有效。我们检查了东盟10个成员国的国家的全面面板数据，这些国家跨越17年与29个主要贸易伙伴的双边贸易。结果表明，东盟成员国对AEAN6成员国的出口量是对非成员国的2.5至4倍，这表明ASEAN6是最佳组。在本文的后半部分，本文提供了建立有效和高效的贸易安排的政策含义。