▁Com merce ▁Minister s ▁of ▁the ▁Member ▁States . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁the ▁SA AR C ▁exports ▁increased ▁substantial ly ▁to ▁$ 3 5 4 . 6 ▁billion ▁from ▁$ 2 0 6 . 7 ▁billion ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 . ▁Im ports ▁too ▁increased ▁from ▁$ 3 3 0 ▁billion ▁to ▁$ 6 0 2 ▁billion ▁over ▁the ▁same ▁period . ▁But ▁the ▁int ra - SA AR C ▁trade ▁amounts ▁to ▁just ▁a ▁little ▁over ▁ 1 % ▁of ▁SA AR C ' s ▁G DP . ▁In ▁contrast ▁to ▁SA AR C , ▁in ▁A SE AN ▁( which ▁is ▁actually ▁smaller ▁than ▁SA AR C ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁economy ) ▁the ▁int ra - b loc ▁trade ▁stands ▁at ▁ 1 0 % ▁of ▁its ▁G DP . ▁ ▁S AF TA ▁was ▁en vis aged ▁to ▁gradually ▁move ▁towards ▁the ▁South ▁Asian ▁Econom ic ▁Union , ▁but ▁the ▁current ▁int ra - reg ional ▁trade ▁and ▁invest ment ▁relation ▁are ▁not ▁encourag ing ▁and ▁it ▁may ▁be ▁difficult ▁to ▁achieve ▁this ▁target . ▁The ▁SA AR C ▁int ra - reg ional ▁trade ▁stands ▁at ▁just ▁five ▁percent ▁on ▁the ▁share ▁of ▁int ra - reg ional ▁trade ▁in ▁overall ▁trade ▁in ▁South ▁Asia . ▁Similarly , ▁foreign ▁direct ▁invest ment ▁is ▁also ▁dis mal . ▁The ▁int ra - reg ional ▁F DI ▁flow ▁stands ▁at ▁around ▁four ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁total ▁foreign ▁invest ment . ▁ ▁The