Trade bloc
Intergovernmental open trading group
A trade bloc is a type of intergovernmental agreement , often part of a regional intergovernmental organization , where barriers to trade (tariffs and others ) are reduced or eliminated among the participating states.
Trade blocs can be stand-alone agreements between several states (such as the USMCA ) or part of a regional organization (such as the European Union ). Depending on the level of economic integration , trade blocs can be classified as preferential trading areas , free-trade areas , customs unions , common markets , or economic and monetary unions .[ 1]
Use
Stages of economic integration around the World (each country colored according to the most integrated multilateral agreement that it participates in): Multilateral free-trade area (
AANZFTA ,
ASEAN ,
CEFTA ,
CISFTA ,
COMESA ,
CPTPP ,
EFTA ,
GAFTA ,
PAFTA ,
RCEP ,
SADCFTA ,
SAFTA ,
USMCA )
Historic trading blocs include the Hanseatic League , a Northern European economic alliance between the 12th and 17th centuries, and the German Customs Union , formed on the basis of the German Confederation and subsequently the German Empire from 1871. Surges of trade bloc formation occurred in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as in the 1990s after the collapse of Communism . By 1997, more than 50% of all world commerce was conducted within regional trade blocs.[ 2] Economist Jeffrey J. Schott of the Peterson Institute for International Economics notes that members of successful trade blocs usually share four common traits: similar levels of per capita GNP , geographic proximity, similar or compatible trading regimes, and political commitment to regional organization.[ 3]
Some advocates of global free trade are opposed to trading blocs. Trade blocs are seen by them to encourage regional free trade at the expense of global free trade.[ 4] Those who advocate for it claim that global free trade is in the interest of every country, as it would create more opportunities to turn local resources into goods and services that are both currently in demand and will be in demand in the future by consumers.[ 5] However, scholars and economists continue to debate whether regional trade blocs fragment the global economy or encourage the extension of the existing global multilateral trading system.[ 6] [ 7]
Terminology
A common market is seen as a stage of economic integration towards an economic union[ 8] or possibly towards the goal of a unified market.
A single market is a type of trade bloc in which most trade barriers have been removed (for goods ) with some common policies on product regulation, and freedom of movement of the factors of production (capital and labour ) and of enterprise and services .
Statistics
This article needs to be updated . The reason given is: newer GDP numbers needed. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (January 2023 )
Selection of GDP PPP data (top 10 countries and blocs) in no particular order
Trade bloc
Population
Gross domestic product (USD )
Members
2006
2007
growth
per capita
Economic and monetary unions
EMU
324,879,195
10,685,946,928,310
12,225,304,229,686
14.41%
37,630
OECS (sovereign states)
593,905
3,752,679,562
3,998,281,731
6.54%
6,732
OII
504,476
12,264,278,329
14,165,953,200
15.51%
28,081
CCCM
6,418,417
39,616,485,623
43,967,600,765
10.98%
6,850
Customs and monetary unions
CEMAC
39,278,645
51,265,460,685
58,519,380,755
14.15%
1,490
UEMOA
90,299,945
50,395,629,494
58,453,871,283
15.99%
647
Customs unions
CAN
96,924,486
281,269,141,372
334,172,968,648
18.81%
3,448
EAC
127,107,838
49,882,030,443
61,345,180,041
22.98%
483
EUCU
574,602,745
15,331,827,900,202
17,679,376,474,719
15.31%
30,768
GCC
36,154,528
724,460,151,595
802,641,302,477
10.79%
22,200
MERCOSUR
271,304,946
1,517,510,000,000
1,886,817,000,000
12.44%
9,757
SACU
58,000,000
1,499,811,549,187
1,848,337,158,281
23.24%
6,885
Preferential trade areas and Free trade areas
AANZFTA -ASEAN+3
2,085,858,841
10,216,029,899,764
11,323,947,181,804
10.84%
5,429
ALADI
499,807,662
2,823,198,095,131
3,292,088,771,480
16.61%
6,587
AFTZ
553,915,405
643,541,709,413
739,927,625,273
14.98%
1,336
APTA
2,714,464,027
4,868,614,302,744
5,828,692,637,764
19.72%
2,147
CARIFORUM -EUCU -OCTs
592,083,950
15,437,771,092,522
17,798,283,524,961
15.29%
30,060
CACM
37,388,063
87,209,524,889
97,718,800,794
12.05%
2,614
CEFTA
27,968,711
110,263,802,023
135,404,501,031
22.80%
4,841
CISFTA
272,897,834
1,271,909,586,018
1,661,429,920,721
30.62%
6,088
DR-CAFTA-US
356,964,477
13,345,469,865,037
14,008,686,684,089
4.97%
39,244
ECOWAS
283,096,250
215,999,071,943
255,784,634,128
18.42%
904
EEA (EU + EFTA )
499,620,521
14,924,076,504,592
17,186,876,431,709
15.16%
34,400
EFTA -SACU
68,199,991
1,021,509,931,918
1,139,385,636,888
11.54%
16,707
EAEC
207,033,990
1,125,634,333,117
1,465,256,182,498
30.17%
7,077
USMCA
449,227,672
15,337,094,304,218
16,189,097,801,318
5.56%
36,038
TPP
25,639,622
401,810,366,865
468,101,167,294
16.50%
18,257
SAARC
1,567,187,373
1,162,684,650,544
1,428,392,756,312
22.85%
911
SPARTECA
35,079,659
918,557,785,031
1,102,745,750,172
20.05%
31,435
Pacific Alliance
218,649,115
1,371,197,216,140
1,525,825,175,045
11.28%
6,978
This list is based on the data obtained from United Nations Statistics Division .
Comparison between regional trade blocs
Activities
Regional bloc
Free Trade Area
Economic and monetary union
Free Travel
Political pact
Defence pact
Other
Customs union
Single market
Currency union
Visa-free
Border-less
EU
in force
in force 7
in force 2
in force 1
in force
in force (Schengen 1, 7 , NPU and CTA 1 )
in force
in force (CFSP /ESDP 1 )
ESA 1, 7
EFTA
in force
in force 2, 7
in force
in force 1, 7
in force 1, 7
ESA 1, 7
CARICOM
in force
in force
in force 1
in force 1 and proposed common
in force 1
proposed
proposed
NWFZ
AU
ECOWAS
in force 1, 3
in force 1
proposed[ 9] [ 10]
in force 1 andproposed for 2012 1 and proposed common
in force 1
proposed
proposed
in force
NWFZ 1
ECCAS
in force 1
African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) 1
in force 1
proposed
in force 1
in force
in force
NWFZ 1
EAC
in force
in force
proposed for 2020s
proposed for 2024
proposed
?
proposed for 2023
NWFZ 1
SADC
in force1
in force 1
proposed for 2015
de facto in force 1 and proposed common for 2016
proposed[ 11]
NWFZ 1
COMESA
in force1
proposed for 2010
?
proposed for 2018
NWFZ 1
Common
in force 1
proposed for 2019
proposed for 2023
proposed for 2028
proposed for 2028
NWFZ 1
Pacific Alliance
in force
in force
NWFZ
USAN
MERCOSUR
in force
in force
proposed for 2015[ 12]
in force
proposed for 2014[ 13]
NWFZ
CAN
in force
in force 1
proposed1 [ 14]
in force
NWFZ
Common
proposed for 2014 4
proposed for not after 2019
proposed for 2019
proposed for 2019
in force[ 15]
proposed for 2019
proposed
in force
NWFZ
EEU
in force
in force 1
in force
Proposed[ 16]
in force[ 17]
in force 1
AL
GCC
in force
in force[ 18]
proposed
proposed 1
in force
in force
Common
in force 1
proposed for 2015
proposed for 2020
proposed
proposed[ 19]
ASEAN
in force 5
proposed for 2015[ 20]
proposed 8 [ 21]
in force[ 22]
proposed for 2015[ 23]
proposed for 2020[ 24]
NWFZ
CAIS
in force1
proposed
?
in force1
in force 1
proposed
NWFZ
CEFTA
in force
RCC 7
USMCA
in force
in force 1, 7
SAARC
in force 1, 6
proposed
proposed
in force 9
PIF
proposed for 2021 1
NWFZ 1
See also
Lists of trade blocs
References
^ Mansfield and Milner 2005, 333.
^ Milner 2002, 450.
^ Schott 1991, 2.
^ O'Loughlin and Anselin 1996, 136.
^ Lal, Deepak (1993). "Trade Blocs and Multilateral Free Trade" (PDF) . Journal of Common Market Studies . 31 (3): 349–358. doi :10.1111/j.1468-5965.1993.tb00468.x .
^ Milner 2002, 458.
^ Mansfield and Milner 2005, 330.
^ "Stages of Economic Integration: From Autarky to Economic Union" .
^ "WT/COMTD/N/11" . wto.org . Archived from the original on 2009-03-25.
^ "WT/COMTD/N/21" . wto.org . Archived from the original on 2009-03-27.
^ "Prensa Latina" . Prensa Latina. February 3, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
^ "WT/REG238/M/1" . wto.org . Archived from the original on 2009-03-04.
^ "Definidos critérios para o Parlamento do Mercosul" . Senado Federal – Notícias. February 3, 2007.
^ Twelfth Andean Presidential Council Act of Lima Archived 2010-07-07 at the Wayback Machine
^ "?" . CNN. February 3, 2007. [dead link ]
^ "Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus form Eurasian Economic Union" . Washington Post . May 29, 2014. Retrieved June 1, 2014 .
^ "Archived" . www.itar-tass.com . Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.[dead link ]
^ "GCC customs union fully operational" . The Peninsula. 2016-08-13. Archived from the original on 18 January 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2015 .
^ Yemen Proposes Replacing Arab League With Arab Union , Agence France-Presse , 11 February 2004
^ "Asean Trade Mins Meet To Speed Up Plans For Single Market" . Malaysia Dual Lingual Business News. February 3, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28.
^ "Envisioning a single Asian currency" . International Herald Tribune. February 3, 2007.
^ "ASEAN To Sign Accord On Visa-Free Travel" . AHN – All Headline News. February 3, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-09-26.
^ "ASEAN Leaders Sign Five Agreements at the 12th ASEAN Summit, Cebu, the Philippines, 13 January 2007" (Press release). ASEAN Secretariat. 2007-01-13. Archived from the original on 2012-03-16. Retrieved 2007-01-28 . On the first day of the 12th ASEAN Summit, five Agreements have been signed by ASEAN leaders – reinforcing their commitment in the continuing integration of ASEAN and enhancing political, economic and social cooperation in the region.
^ "ASEAN defense ministers aim for security community" . ABS-CBN. February 3, 2007. Archived from the original on June 27, 2006.
Bibliography
Mansfield, Edward D. and Helen V. Milner, "The New Wave of Regionalism" in Diehl, Paul F. (2005). The Politics of Global Governance: International Organizations in an Interdependent World . Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers. ISBN 978-1-55587-654-8 .
Milner, Helen V., "International Trade" in Carlsnaes, Walter; Thomas Risse; Beth A. Simmons (2002). Handbook of International Relations . London: SAGE Publications . ISBN 978-0-7619-6304-2 .
O'Loughlin, John; Luc Anselin (1996). "Geo-Economic Competition and Trade Bloc Formation: United States, German, and Japanese Exports, 1968–1992". Economic Geography . 72 (2): 131–160. doi :10.2307/144263 . JSTOR 144263 .
Schott, Jeffrey J. (1991). "Trading blocs and the world trading system". World Economy . 14 (1): 1–17. doi :10.1111/j.1467-9701.1991.tb00748.x .