Seminar on Asia - Center for Asian Studies
"15 Years of the EU-Korea Free Trade Agreement: Firm-State Bargaining in FTA Enforcement" with Erja Kettunen-Matilainen, University of Turku
While the inclusion of technical barriers to trade (TBT) provisions in Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) has received considerable scholarly attention, their enforcement remains relatively understudied. This seminar explores how EU businesses operating in South Korea seek to advance the implementation of the “deep” provisions of the EU–Korea FTA, with a particular focus on standards harmonization.
Drawing on a firm–state bargaining framework, the presentation examines how European firms perceive and navigate formal and informal trade barriers and how their bargaining with the Korean host state shapes the enforcement of TBT provisions, particularly in the automotive sector. The seminar also sheds light on how institutional features and informal norms contribute to the uneven implementation of the FTA. In doing so, it offers broader insights into the role of firms in FTA implementation, the persistence of informal trade barriers, and the dynamics of firm–state bargaining.
Erja Kettunen-Matilainen is Adjunct Professor and Senior Research Fellow of Economic Geography at Turku School of Economics (TSE), University of Turku, Finland. Her research and teaching focuses on trade and trade policy, economic resilience, and sustainable development. She currently leads three externally funded research projects at TSE: “Good and bad palm oil: food security, paradigm shift and stakeholder negotiations in Indonesia and the EU”, “Strengthening societal resilience and security of supply in global stakeholder collaboration”, and “Sustainable growth from trade: opportunities for Finland fostered by the EU strategic trade policy”. She is also actively engaged in societal outreach and serves as Chairperson of the Finland – Republic of Korea Association in Helsinki.
Moderator: Dr. Patrik Ström, Director, Center for Asian Studies, Stockholm School of Economics
• Date and Time: Tuesday, November 10, 15:30-17:00
• Language: English
• Venue: Room Ragnar, Stockholm School of Economics, Sveavägen 65, Stockholm
Register for the seminar here by November 6.
Welcome!