📋 Written Ability Test (WAT)/Essay Analysis Guide

🌟 Can Free Trade Agreements Enhance Global Cooperation?

🌐 Understanding the Topic’s Importance

Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) bridge economic objectives with broader diplomatic goals, making them essential for understanding global markets and policy frameworks. This topic is directly relevant to B-school discussions on international business strategies, highlighting the intersection of trade and diplomacy.

⏳ Effective Planning and Writing

• ⏱️ Time Allocation:
  • Planning: 5 minutes
  • Writing: 20 minutes
  • Review: 5 minutes
• 📜 Preparation Tips:
  • Collect case studies and trade statistics, focusing on agreements like CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership), RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership), and USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement).
  • Understand the economic and geopolitical implications of FTAs.

💡 Introduction Techniques for Essays

• ⚖️ Contrast Approach: “While FTAs reduce barriers to trade and foster economic integration, their real potential lies in promoting global cooperation and addressing shared challenges.”
• 📜 Timeline Approach: “From the 1947 GATT framework to modern agreements like the RCEP, FTAs have evolved as instruments of both economic and diplomatic integration.”

📋 Structuring the Essay Body

• 🏆 Achievements:
  • RCEP’s impact on increasing trade volumes in Asia, fostering stronger regional ties.
  • The EU’s successful economic and political integration, which has contributed to lasting peace among its member states.
• ⚠️ Challenges with Comparative Analysis:
  • Inequitable benefits, with developing nations often gaining less compared to advanced economies.
  • Concerns over environmental degradation and labor rights violations in global supply chains.
• 🔮 Future Outlook:
  • Emphasizing sustainable trade practices in FTAs to address climate change and resource management.
  • Incorporating digital economy frameworks to adapt to the future of global trade.
  • Ensuring greater inclusivity to provide equitable benefits across nations.

✅ Concluding Effectively

• ⚖️ Balanced Conclusion: “FTAs hold the potential to foster global cooperation, provided they address inequities and environmental concerns.”
• 🌍 Visionary Conclusion: “With inclusive frameworks and sustainable goals, FTAs can redefine not just trade but global unity.”

📊 Sample Short Essays

• ⚖️ Balanced Perspective: “FTAs can foster global cooperation when inclusivity and equitable benefits are prioritized, ensuring no nation is left behind.”
• 💡 Solution-Oriented: “Modern FTAs must evolve to address global challenges like climate change and labor rights, making trade a true vehicle for cooperation.”
• 🌍 Global Comparison: “From the EU’s integration to the RCEP’s trade expansion, FTAs demonstrate that economic collaboration can pave the way for broader global partnerships.”