Impact of Nontariff Measures and Border Crossing Time and Costs: The Case of Perishable Goods Trade in the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Region

This paper explores the impact of at-the-border and behind-the-border measures on intraregional trade in perishable goods within the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation region.It presents empirical evidence that behind-the-border measures create more opportunities to improve intraregional trade in these goods. The authors used a Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood estimation technique in a gravity model. Structural reforms in trade facilitation should consider enhancing sanitary and phytosanitary laboratories, aligning regulations with international standards, simplifying documentation, streamlining border processes, and fostering collaboration among customs and relevant agencies for perishable goods trade within the region.