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The Asia Pacific Trade Seminars (APTS) is the
forum for researchers in international trade and investment, holding
annual meetings in universities in Asia Pacific region. This time, in
2021, the University of Tokyo hosted the 16th meeting of the APTS on
June 26-27, held online. Fifty-one papers, selected from the submission,
were presented. Topics include traditional ones, such as regional
economic integration, offshoring, foreign direct investment, the
macroeconomic effect of firms' exporting and importing behavior, as well
as topical US-China trade friction and effect of COVID-19 on global
supply chains. Diversity did not stop at the level of topics. Many
researchers from the North America and Europe present their papers as
well as those from the Asia Pacific region. Approximately 80 attendants
freely move across three parallel sessions, actively participating
discussions about the presentations. The movement across sessions seemed
easier than in the case of in-person meetings, thanks to the breakout
room function of the Zoom. Participants also enjoyed interactions with
one another during the breaks in the virtual meeting space provided by
the Gather town.
The 16th annual meeting of the APTS was scheduled to be held at
Deakin University in Australia. But, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the
APTS to be held online. Because the meeting was cancelled also due to
the pandemic in 2020, participants appear happy to catch up on their
fellow researchers. The meeting could provide them with precious
opportunity to interact with one another in this difficult time.
Financial as well as human-resource support that enables the APTS to
hold the meeting successfully is gratefully appreciated.
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