As part of the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Chair EUMarket activities, the research paper “Impact of Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI) on ASEAN Services Export,” authored by Prof. Katerina Toshevska-Trpchevska, Prof. Elena Makrevska Disoska, and Prof. Viktor Stojkoski, was presented at the Asia Economic Policy Forum (AEPF), held on 28–29 July 2026 in Singapore.

The paper analyses the impact of regulatory barriers on ASEAN services exports using a Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood (PPML) gravity model and the OECD Services Trade Restrictiveness Index (STRI). The findings demonstrate that services trade restrictiveness has a significant negative effect on export performance, particularly through barriers to competition and discriminatory measures. The research also highlights important differences across service sectors, emphasising the need for targeted regulatory reforms and sector-specific liberalisation to strengthen international trade in services.

The presentation contributed to discussions on the role of services trade policies in promoting economic integration, competitiveness, and sustainable growth, while reinforcing the importance of evidence-based policymaking in an increasingly interconnected global economy.