This comprehensive book addresses one of the most important aspects of international trade, namely, regional trade and regional integration agreements (RIAs). The focus of intense global interest and debate over the last decade, RIAs have become an integr

Trade diversion and the creation of complicated and discriminatory tariff regimes with increased tariffs for non-member countries - the consequences of PTAs - are likely to undermine the multilateral trading system."--Jacket.

Regional economic arrangements such as free trade areas (FTAs), customs unions, and currency blocs, have become increasingly prevalent in the world economy. Both pervasive and controversial, regionalization has some economists optimistic about the opportunities it creates and others fearful that it may corrupt fragile efforts to encourage global free trade. Including both empirical and theoretical studies, this volume addresses several important questions: Why do countries adopt FTAs and other regional trading arrangements? To what extent have existing regional arrangements actually affected patterns of trade? What are the welfare effects of such arrangements? Several chapters explore the economic effects of regional arrangements on patterns of trade, either on price differentials or via the gravity model on bilateral trade flows. In addition, this book examines the theoretical foundation of the gravity model. Making extensive use of the gravity model of bilateral trade, several chapters explore the economic effects of regional arrangements. In addition, this book examines the theoretical foundation of the gravity model.

The essays in this volume reflect the current debate about whether the new regionalism and interregional politics of the last decade support or undermine the global trading system. Political scientists and international relations scholars from North America examine the changing relationship between regionalism and multilateralism, and discuss the implications for national policy in the globalized economy. The essays are arranged into four categories covering regionalism, globalism, and the state; the dynamics of regional integration; interregional relations; and the policy implications, particularly for CanadaAnnotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

A collection of revised papers from the 'Multilateralizing Regionalism' conference, held at the WTO in September 2007.

November 1996 Do the forces that regional integration arrangements set up encourage or discourage a trend toward globally freer trade? We don't know yet. The literature on regionalism versus multilateralism is growing as economists and political scientists grapple with the question of whether regional integration arrangements are good or bad for the multilateral system. Are regional integration arrangements building blocks or stumbling blocks, in Jagdish Bhagwati's phrase, or stepping stones toward multilateralism? As economists worry about the ability of the World Trade Organization to maintain the GATT's unsteady yet distinct momentum toward liberalism, and as they contemplate the emergence of world-scale regional integration arrangements (the EU, NAFTA, FTAA, APEC, and, possibly, TAFTA), the question has never been more pressing. Winters switches the focus from the immediate consequences of regionalism for the economic welfare of the integrating partners to the question of whether it sets up forces that encourage or discourage evolution toward globally freer trade. The answer is, We don't know yet. One can build models that suggest either conclusion, but these models are still so abstract that they should be viewed as parables rather than sources of testable predictions. Winters offers conclusions about research strategy as well as about the world we live in. Among the conclusions he reaches: * Since we value multilateralism, we had better work out what it means and, if it means different things to different people, make sure to identify the sense in which we are using the term. * Sector-specific lobbies are a danger if regionalism is permitted because they tend to stop blocs from moving all the way to global free trade. In the presence of lobbies, trade diversion is good politics even if it is bad economics. * Regionalism's direct effect on multilateralism is important, but possibly more so is the indirect effect it has by changing the ways in which groups of countries interact and respond to shocks in the world economy. * Regionalism, by allowing stronger internalization of the gains from trade liberalization, seems likely to facilitate freer trade when it is initially highly restricted. * The possibility of regionalism probably increases the risks of catastrophe in the trading system. The insurance incentives for joining regional arrangements and the existence of shiftable externalities both lead to such a conclusion. So too does the view that regionalism is a means to bring trade partners to the multilateral negotiating table because it is essentially coercive. Using regionalism for this purpose may have been an effective strategy, but it is also risky. This paper - a product of the International Trade Division, International Economics Department - was prepared for a conference on regional integration sponsored by the Centre for Economic Policy Research, La Coru-a, Spain, April 26-27, 1996, and will appear in the conference proceedings.

Compares rule-making provisions in regional trade agreements with those of the WTO in ten specific areas: services, labour mobility, investment, competition policy, trade facilitation, government procurement, intellectual property rights, contingency protection, environment and rules of origin.

Seminar paper from the year 2011 in the subject Economics - International Economic Relations, grade: 1,3, language: English, abstract: Contents 1 Introduction 2 Multilateralism vs. Regionalism 2.1 Regional Trade Agreements - Types and Development 2.2 GATT Regulations 3 New Regionalism - Impact on World Trade 3.1 Positive vs. Negative Effects 3.2 Winners and Losers 3.3 NAFTA effects on the Mexican and the World economy 4 Conclusion 5 Bibliography In 2009 German exports totaled 816 billion Euros in value. (EU Observer, 2010).During the 20th century cross-border trade has become one of the defining parameters for many economies and their enterprises in order to achieve competitive advantages. In most countries international trade represents a significant share of the gross domestic product (see figure 1, p.5). Free trade policies have set the base for these global economic integration tendencies.This essay examines the desirability of regional economic integration in comparison to the multilateral trade approach promoted by the World Trade Organization (WTO). In specific it discusses the question whether regionalism encourages or discourages trends towards free trade on a global basis.

The editor of this book is to be congratulated for providing us with the works of a group of authors who combine proficient technical skills with elegant and lucid writing capabilities. . . This book would make excellent recommended reading for both undergraduate and graduate classes in international trade and finance. Herb Thompson, Journal of Contemporary Asia This book is based on the premise that Regional Trade Agreements (RTAs) in the Asia-Pacific significantly impact on the material progress of the peoples of this region. These impacts in terms of the benefits and costs associated with RTAs will vary greatly from country to country. The internationally acclaimed contributors examine the theoretical perspective of RTAs in relation to exchange rates, the role and goals of the WTO and agriculture. The tensions and trade frictions resulting from the formation of trade blocs and their conflicts with the roles and goals of the WTO are also examined in the book. Those economies that are considered the economic powerhouses of the region including China, Japan, South Korea, major ASEAN countries and Australia are discussed in depth. The findings of the book suggest that RTAs are becoming increasingly popular in the Asia-Pacific region. However the associated costs and benefits depend on a number of complex factors including exchange rates, negotiation skills, the sectors included or excluded from the RTA, and the level of economic development of the nations signing the RTAs. The book will be particularly useful to academics, researchers, consultants, students, policy makers (including trade negotiators), and practitioners involved in trade and development in the Asia-Pacific region.

Regional trade agreements (RTAs) are not new, but their complexity and importance in global economics and politics has grown exponentially in the past two decades. Tackling this daunting proliferation head on, this book provides a much-needed guide to RTAs. Setting current regional agreements in their economic, political, and historical context, David A. Lynch describes and compares every significant RTA, region by region. He clearly explains their intricate inner workings, their webs of collaboration and conflict, and their primary goals and effectiveness. Lynch's deeply knowledgeable study bridges the ideological divides in scholarly and public debate, including economists' emphases on markets and efficiency versus antiglobalization activists' concerns over inequality and social ills. By building a middle ground between micro and macro analysis and clarifying technical terminology, this concise and accessible book will be an invaluable reference for all readers.