MTI Internship: Beyond the Usual Suspects: Mapping Singapore’s Next FTA Frontier

Americas and Central Asia Division (ACA) - Beyond the Usual Suspects: Mapping Singapore’s Next FTA Frontiers

Summary Help Singapore search for our next bound of FTA partners in emerging regions such as Latin America, the Caribbean, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. You will assist to map out the “white spots” in Singapore’s FTA network, develop a scoring framework to rank prospective countries and trade blocs, and develop case studies on possible future negotiations. By the end, you would not only gain a better understanding of trade theory, but also would also have helped shape thinking on where Singapore’s FTA strategy could go next! Project Overview Singapore has built a dense network of FTAs globally. However, there are still “white spots” across emerging regions such as Latin America, the Caribbean, Central Asia, and the Caucasus which contain a mix of fast-growing, resource-rich and strategically located economies that could support Singapore’s trade diversification. Within this universe, regional blocs such as the Central American Integration System (SICA) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and individual economies such as Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, could be of particular interest. Individually, many of these economies may not be large or economically significant enough to justify a standalone FTA. However, when aggregated at the level of a regional trade bloc, their combined market size, trade volume, and strategic value can become substantial. Where trade policy competence sits at the bloc level (e.g. common external tariffs, common commercial policy), engaging the bloc as a collective may be more impactful and administratively efficient than pursuing multiple bilateral deals. This project therefore undertakes a systematic scan and evaluation of countries and blocs in these two regions without existing FTAs with Singapore. The final output is intended to support policy discussions on where Singapore should deepen engagement, whether through exploratory talks, scoping studies, or eventual FTA negotiations. Key Questions You Will Help Answer 1. Which non-FTA partner countries and blocs offer sizeable or rapidly growing markets, and/or play key roles in regional production and logistics networks? 2. Where do Singapore’s export strengths (e.g. services, high-value manufacturing, logistics, digital trade) and import needs (e.g. food, energy, critical minerals) align with the sectoral profiles of candidate economies? 3. How stable and predictable are the political, regulatory, and macroeconomic environments in these candidates? How do their foreign policy orientations and regional roles align with Singapore’s interests (e.g. as gateways to larger regional markets, hubs for energy, food security, or connectivity)? 4. What existing barriers such as tariffs, non-tariff measures, regulatory divergence, institutional capacity constraints, could complicate or slow FTA negotiations with these partners? 5. How should we methodologically rank and compare individual countries against regional blocs such as in terms of aggregated economic value, market access, administrative complexity, and political feasibility? 6. What forms of G2G, G2B, or sector-focused initiatives would make the most practical starting points for early-stage cooperation with these partners? What You Will Work On You will work like a trade analyst helping to shape real-world policy thinking. Mapping and Desk Research • Compile a list of economies and blocs across Latin America, the Caribbean, Central Asia, and the Caucasus without existing FTAs with Singapore. • Gather data from sources such as UNCTAD, WTO, IMF, World Bank, regional development banks, and regional organisations on trade flows, GDP, growth, sectoral structure, governance, and integration status. Comparative Scoring and Shortlisting • Develop a scoring/weighting matrix covering: o economic size and growth; o trade intensity and potential with Singapore; o sectoral complementarities (e.g. energy, food, services, digital trade); o strategic/regional significance; o institutional and regulatory readiness; o political and macroeconomic stability. • Apply the matrix to rank candidates and derive a shortlist of the most promising countries and blocs. Developing Case Studies • Conduct 1 or 2 case studies to illustrate (i) concrete trade and investment opportunities. and (ii) likely negotiation issues (market access, rules of origin, standards, services, digital. Synthesis and Framework Development • Consolidate findings into a reusable framework that Singapore can apply to assess future FTA opportunities in other under-covered regions, including explicit decision rules for when to favour bilateral vs bloc-level engagement. What You Will Learn • Enhanced understanding of FTA strategy and partner selection. • Hands-on experience in multi-dimensional analysis, combining trade data, political economy, and strategic considerations. • Appreciation of how bloc-level integration and trade policy competence affect FTA strategy, including when to prioritise bilateral vs bloc-level engagement. • Exposure to regional integration dynamics and bloc-level arrangements in emerging markets. • Ability to design and apply structured, reusable evaluation frameworks to support policymaking. • Strengthened skills in research, quantitative scoring, analytical writing, and policy-oriented presentation.

This project is suited for candidates who: • Study economics, international relations, public policy, business, or related fields. • Enjoy working with data and comparative frameworks. • Are curious about trade policy, FTAs, and emerging regions beyond the usual US/EU/Asia focus. • Can write clearly and succinctly for a policy audience. Prior knowledge of FTAs is helpful but not essential. Interest and initiative matter more.