Staff writer
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum will decide later this month to make a detailed survey and analysis of the social and economic impact trade liberalization is having on its 18 member economies, government officials said Friday.
The APEC trade ministers meeting June 22-23 in Kuching, Malaysia, will identify specific industrial sectors to be covered by the study, the officials said, asking that they not be named. The officials said the study will be conducted by the APEC Study Center, a network of think tanks for APEC members, and that its findings will probably be reported to next year's annual APEC meetings to be held in New Zealand in September 1999. This year's meetings are scheduled for November in Kuala Lumpur.