Talk on CAREC Connectivity: CPMM (CAREC Corridors Performance Measurement Report) Analysis

Cambridge Central Asia Forum invites you to a talk

 on

 CAREC Connectivity: CPMM (CAREC Corridors Performance Measurement Report) Analysis

by

Ghulam Samad (CAREC)

Date: 6 February

Time: 11am-1pm

Venue: Room 119, Alison Richard Building, 7 West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DT

Online Zoom registration link: https://cam-ac-uk.zoom.us/meeting/register/-MP7-0DqQCqforJqgXf6WA#/ 

Everyone is welcome.  

Abstract: Containerization plays a critical role in reducing trade costs, improving logistics efficiency, and integrating landlocked economies into regional and global value chains. Drawing on evidence from the CAREC Institute’s containerization study and the CAREC Corridor Performance Monitoring and Measurement (CPMM) Annual Reports, this seminar examines how container usage, corridor performance, and border procedures interact to shape trade outcomes in the CAREC region. The analysis highlights significant cross-country and corridor-level disparities in container penetration, transit times, costs, and reliability, reflecting both infrastructure constraints and persistent “soft” bottlenecks at borders. The findings suggest that while physical connectivity has improved in parts of the region, gains from containerization remain uneven due to regulatory fragmentation, border inefficiencies, and limited logistics market development. The studies conclude by discussing policy implications for trade facilitation, corridor management, and regional cooperation, with particular attention to the challenges faced by landlocked economies.

Biography: Mr. Ghulam Samad is a Chief of Research Division at the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Institute, Asian Development Bank (ADB) based in Urumqi, China. Dr. Samad has over 20 years of experience in applied economic research and policy analysis. Prior to joining the CAREC Institute, he served as Senior Research Economist at the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics and as an Economist at the Planning Commission of Pakistan. He holds a PhD in Economics from Colorado State University and is a former Fulbright Scholar. His work spans trade, transport connectivity, regional cooperation, and development policy, with publications in peer-reviewed journals and international books. He has consulted for the World Bank, ADB, UNDP, UNEP, IDRC, and WIPO.