East Asian intraregional trade has grown rapidly since the turn-of-the-century, with the formation of a vertically integrated division of labor centering on parts and components. The weight of intraregional trade among non-Japan East Asian countries has risen steeply, from 31.7% in 1990 to 42.0% in 2008.
Measures to reduce the tax burden have also been taken including the lowering of the rate of special excise tax and the granting of increased tax credits for investment.