Free Essay

Regional Integration for and Against Articles

In:

Submitted By schgrad169
Words 952
Pages 4
Regional Integration for and Against Articles
MGT/448
2014

Regional Integration for and Against Articles

Regional Integration Trade blocs are agreements to help reduce trade barriers between participating states, regions, or countries ("trade bloc," 2014). The concept of regional economic integration takes the trade bloc concept and centers it into different regions on the globe. Regional economic integration is an agreement to reduce regional trade barriers, remove tariffs and non-tariff barriers that will hinder the flow of free trade of goods, services, and factors of production among countries in a geographic region (Hill, 2009). There are many regional trade blocs in place today that have achieved harmonious and non-harmonious integration. Following is a closer look at some of the advantages and disadvantage one trade bloc that is situated in the Caribbean region named, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and its expansion into CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).

Caribbean Community (CARICOM) The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) was established in July 1973 as an expansion of the former Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) that had been in place for seven years prior ("Caribbean community (caricom)," 2014). The CARICOM trading bloc profile states that it goes beyond the normal boundaries of free-trade to encompass programs that will sustain economic development within the region ("Caribbean community (caricom)," 2014). States located outside the CARICOM region also see benefits from the trading bloc in the way of a unified trade, economic, and foreign policies ("Caribbean community (caricom)," 2014). There are 15 members' states in the CARICOM trading bloc: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Bahamas, Dominica, Guyana, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago ("Caribbean community (caricom)," 2014). In 1989, CARICOM made the decision to move to a single market and economy, known as CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). The CSME goal is to better deepen the integration movement and to respond better to challenges and opportunities that come with globalization ("Establishing the caricom," 2014). The CSME also provides free movement of goods, services, capital, skilled labor, and freedom to expand businesses anywhere in the member community ("Establishing the caricom," 2014). As with any form of regional trade integration there are advantages and disadvantages for its members.

Advantages of Integration The advantages that CARICOM members see under the CSME agenda is the possibility of increased trade in goods, services, and production ("Caricom single market," 2014). The CSME will improve production of competitive products, such as price and quality ("Caricom single market," 2014). Also, CSME can provide better services for individuals and businesses to create more investment opportunities. The CSME helps to create more travel opportunities and provide more the options for CARICOM members to work and study in other member countries ("Caricom single market," 2014). Increasing employment opportunities will help to improve the standard of living in member states ("Caricom single market," 2014).

Disadvantages of Integration The disadvantages of CARICOM under the CSME agenda is the affect it has on less developed countries and other regional trade blocs as the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) which also co-share a couple of CARICOM states members ("Caricom single market," 2014). The formation of CSME is another disadvantage as CSME's infrastructure could influence market gains and economic gains achieved through integration ("Caricom single market," 2014). The size, structure, and economies of CSME, with its 15 member states, could be problematic in trying to get all states to harmoniously work together ("Caricom single market," 2014). A weak economy of one member state could create vulnerability for other state members in the CARICOM trading bloc ("Caricom single market," 2014). Some state members of CARICOM have expressed concern that CSME may have been too ambitious with its agenda (Nelson, 2012). Members are concern about intra-travel, unfair trade competition, and crime within the region has slowed the progression of CSME's vision since it was created (Nelson, 2012). The non-existence entrepreneurship and slow exporting of good and services are also problematic (Nelson, 2012). As of 2006, only the single market portion of CSME has been implemented, but the single economy is still in limbo (Nelson, 2012).

Conclusion The success of CARICOM and its expanded initiative CSME depends on how well of a job the regional integration organization does in making the Caribbean region more global in trade. The less developed states in the CARICOM trade bloc will need more support from intra-regional states to help make the whole region more of a level playing field for competing in the global trade. The goals of CSME appear to be overwhelming, but if the CARICOM and CSME leadership can work on creating a staged rollout for goal initiatives that it wants to achieve. Working in small increments will help focus sources and will provide time to work on issues before moving to next goal item. The CARICOM and CSME will need organized leadership and efficient plan if it wants to improve social, trade, and economic opportunities in the Caribbean region.

References

Hill, C. W. (2009). International business. Competing in the Global Marketplace (7th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
Caribbean community (caricom). (2014, January 15). Retrieved from http://www.rosalienebacchus.com/articles/CARICOM_VeryUsefulWebsitesforTradeInvestment.html
Caricom single market and economy (csme). (2014). Retrieved from http://www.commerce.gov.lc/departments/view/49
Establishing the caricom single market and economy (csme). (2014). Retrieved from http://www.caricom.org/jsp/single_market/free_movement.jsp?menu=csme
Hill, C. W. (2009). International business. Competing in the Global Marketplace (7th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
Nelson, J. (2012, February 7). Can caribbean regional integration facilitate economic growth? . Retrieved from http://www.americasquarterly.org/node/3324 trade bloc. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.investorwords.com/8237/trade_bloc.html

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Regional Integration for and Against Articles

...Regional Integration for and Against Articles University of Phoenix MGT-448 Stephen D. Julias, III April 2, 2011 Abstract Regional integration has been around for a long time. A definition is not easily formulated. Ordinarily the term refers to the integration of a nation of states into a larger collection. Regional integration can be described on one hand, as a vital method that requires a country’s eagerness to contribute to or unite into a larger whole. The extent of which the country shares and what the country shares establishes the level of integration. The different levels of integration are dependent on a predefined criterion. The descriptions of levels are the advantages and disadvantages of regional integration and how the stage for economic development relates to a potential business opportunity. The Advantage NAFTA The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is an economic, international trade treaty connecting three nations that inhabit the North American continent (Canada, Mexico, and the United States) that began in 1994. NAFTA is designed to remove various trade barriers between Canada, Mexico, and the United States as well as a reduction or elimination of numerous tariffs and nontariff barriers. NAFTA is exceptional in that it has created the foremost regional integration agreement linking two highly developed countries, the United States and Canada, and a developing country, Mexico. Export opportunities have grown under NAFTA because of the tariffs...

Words: 1101 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Regional Integration for and Against Articles

...Regional Integration for and Against Articles Introduction The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is an agreement between the United States of America, Mexico and Canada. The agreement creates rules in the trade block and it was established in 1994. The goal of the agreement is remove or decrease the tariffs and non-tariffs barriers to stimulate trade. The NAFTA agreement included: * Removing all tariffs on 99 percent of the good by 2004. * Protection of intellectual property * Removal of most foreign direct investments with a few protections established for each country * Removal of barriers on the cross-border flow of service * Application of national environmental standard * Establishing two commissions with the power to impose fines and remove trade privileges if needed Regional integration is not only for economical reasons but it is also political. There is much opposition within each country and it takes many years to have an agreement that satisfies ever member country. Pros and Cons for NAFTA Advantages The main purpose for NAFTA is to create a larger and more efficient base for the entire North American region. The first advantage for the members of NAFTA was to reduce the tariffs that had been imposed in all their products. The cost of the products is also controlled in member nations of NAFTA since the import cost are not inflated by taxes. Lastly, the benefit is mutual for US and Canada to move production to Mexico. The...

Words: 503 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Regional Integration for and Against Articles

...Regional Integration for and Against Articles * Regional Integration for and Against Articles * En el siguiente escrito luego de escoger una región y un bloque comercial dentro de la misma, se identificaraa como esta región actua a favor de la integración regional y en contra. Se describe las ventajas y las desventajas de la integración regional y la relación de la etapa de desarrollo económico de la región, económicamente integrada a potenciales oportunidades de negocios. * Canada es una región dentro del bloque comercial “North American Free Trade Agreement” (NAFTA) o Tratado de Libre de Comercio de America del Norte (TLCAN). Este acuerdo eliminoo la mayoría de las tarifas entre los productos exportados de Estados Unidos, Canada y Mejico. Existen restricciones en muchas categorías, estas incluyen vehículos, computadoras, textiles y agricultura, en adicion, este tratado protege los derechos de propiedad tales como patentes, derechos de autor y marcas comerciales. Este acuerdo describe la eliminación de restricciones a la inversión entre los tres países. * Este entro en vigor el 1 de enero de 1994 y entre sus objetivos esta el facilitar la circulación de productos y servicios entre los países, la creación de procedimientos para la aplicación y el cumplimiento del tratado. * La integración regional en términos estructurales, se refiere a unas ventajas que aplican a todo bloque comercial entre diferentes países. La primera se relaciona...

Words: 469 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Regional Integration for and Against Articles

...Regional Integration for and Against Articles Advantage of the North American Free Trade Agreement The North American Free Trade Agreement has come into power as of January 1994. Causing Mexico, Canada, and the United States to come together. The objective of NAFTA is to generate improved trading environments through decreasing tariff, elimination of investment blockades, and enhancing property protection By putting together the biggest trade and industry region in the globe, to some extent exceeding the Europeans marketplace.. The operations of North American Free Trade Agreement has help Mexico's financial system in agreement to the United States' financial system, which has helped Mexico ‘sells to other countries boost tremendously as of 1993. 1994 to 1997, United States. operations with Mexico as well Canada increased 44%. this large development is credited mainly through decreasing tariffs. While tariffs were decreased, the United. States. merchandise grow to be less expensive and more competitive in Mexico as well Canada’s marketplaces, while the demands of goods increased in the United States (Dentzer, 2004). In Mexico, the removing of the barriers with tariffs, has caused investments to develop as well produced employment raising the Gross Domestic Product, and dropping prices for consumers. In Mexico. Before the North American Free Trade Agreement was create, spending was not easy. Manufacturers were required to go the Mexican Government for support...

Words: 737 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Gogomi

...Vienna International Centre, PO Box 500, A 1400 Vienna, Austria Tel: +(43) (1) 26060-0, Fax: +(43) (1) 26060-5866, www.unodc.org UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION AGAINST TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME AND THE PROTOCOLS THERETO Printed in Austria V.04-56153—September 2004—1,900 UNITED NATIONS UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME Vienna UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION AGAINST TRANSNATIONAL ORGANIZED CRIME AND THE PROTOCOLS THERETO UNITED NATIONS New York, 2004 Foreword With the signing of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in Palermo, Italy, in December 2000, the international community demonstrated the political will to answer a global challenge with a global response. If crime crosses borders, so must law enforcement. If the rule of law is undermined not only in one country, but in many, then those who defend it cannot limit themselves to purely national means. If the enemies of progress and human rights seek to exploit the openness and opportunities of globalization for their purposes, then we must exploit those very same factors to defend human rights and defeat the forces of crime, corruption and trafficking in human beings. One of the starkest contrasts in our world today is the gulf that exists between the civil and the uncivil. By “civil” I mean civilization: the accumulated centuries of learning that form our foundation for progress. By “civil” I also mean tolerance: the pluralism and respect with which...

Words: 27646 - Pages: 111

Premium Essay

Regional Integration for and Against

...Regional Integration for and Against Articles Mark Drury 445 March 9, 2011 Dr. Paul Mahajan Regional Integration for and Against Articles A trade bloc can be defined as a preferential trade agreement between two countries and is designed to significantly reduce trade barriers between the two countries. The integration of countries into trade blocs is commonly referred to as “regionalism” and it does not matter if the trade bloc has a geographical basis or not. They first started in the 1930’s. The main trade blocs of the world are: (1) in Europe, the European Union (EU), the European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA), the European Agreements, and the European Economic Area (EEA); (2) with the United States, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (CUSTA), and the US-Israel Free Trade Agreement; (3) in Latin America, the Common Market of the South Latin American Integration Association (LAIA), and the Caribbean Community and Common Market(CARICOM) (Jones, 2010) Trade blocs are good because they remove trade barriers between countries. They also regulate the price and trade terms of trade between the two countries. Trade blocs also have a positive impact on welfare if they are more trade creating and less trade diverting. “George Orwell predicted that trade blocs would evolve into continent-spanning empires with ever-changing alliances. The eastward expansion of the EU and use of the Euro, southern expansion of NAFTA into the...

Words: 515 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Mgt/448 - Global Business Strategies

...STRATEGIES Instructor: MICHAEL GAY Schedule: 10/12/2011 - 11/09/2011 Campus: SOUTH COAST LEARNING CENTER Group ID: SC11BSM06 Regional Integration for and against Articles EU Regional Integration Advantages The development of our world economy displays its escalating integrity and is based on international specialization and also co-production, and not the mention the consolidation of economic relations among states and business entities. Integration is a judicial law of the progress of international economic relationship.  European Union is the foremost commercial power in our world today. The EU has attained the national unity in the economic and social policy: not a member of the EU can’t secure the prices of agricultural products or to enter in commercial agreements with third world countries or relations, state aid to companies individually have to be held in beneath the Brussels treaty. Countries have to meet the terms with general rules, environmental safety and consumer protection as well. The reaction of the leading countries: the influential’s talked about their success of monetary union. The key advantages of regional integration is having newer, cheaper, faster and more diversified, goods, resources, services, facilities, ideas and knowledge as well as higher living standards available. The powerful forces of international economic integration are the companies. They are interested in achieving an optimal level of activity, including throughout co-operation with distant...

Words: 760 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

International Commercial Law

...used in such circumstances. The point of conflict in this case is usually the law that is to be used in solving the conflicts when they arise. In most cases, the implementation of world trade agreements is hampered by protectionalism policies taken by different countries while protecting their economies. This is because free trade also has negative economic effects on the country's industries and this is the reason why most countries prefer to protect their economies from time to time. Regional Trade Agreements have been on the rise and the numbers of regional trade agreements continue to increase in the recent years. Countries are driven by different reasons to join these regional trade arrangements. Some are driven issues such as political security, economic gains and the reforms in their legal systems. However, the proliferation of these regional trade arrangements has caused concern for the World Trade Organization that put in place some measures in place to reduce the impact of the regional trade...

Words: 2550 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Mgt 448

...Regional Integration for and Against Articles NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) is a free trade agreement involving Mexico, Canada, and the United States. NAFTA is the most limited of the free trade unions. NAFTA is restricted to eliminating tariffs, quotas, and other trade impediment among Canada, Mexico, and the United States. NAFTA has advantages and disadvantages of regional integration, and also showing how it persons would favor, and be against it. Integration and agreements made will reduce tariffs barriers that are associated with trades of good, services, and the factors of produced goods between countries (Hill, 2009). Advantages Between the two countries Canada and the United States NAFTA has eliminated most of the tariffs, which are incorporated in the trades of the products. One of the main advantages is that it will provide a higher quality of goods, and services to consumers in all countries at a lower rate. In January 1994 NAFTA became the biggest trade bloc in the world in relation to GDP (Gross Domestic Product) all, while becoming a key force in escalating the agricultural trade between Canada and the U.S. Trades between Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. have gotten better throughout the life of the unification (Free Trade Bloc, n.d.). The advantage of integration regionally is that there are no imposed restrictions on the trade. This will allow countries to focus on the services and...

Words: 691 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Lawlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll L

...is an international organization whose final aim is to develop a complete integration of its members into an East African Federation. The EAC is an integral part of the African Economic Community. The EAC is a potential precursor to the establishment of the East African Federation, a proposed federation of its members into a single sovereign state. In 2010, the EAC launched its own common market for goods, labour, and capital within the region, with the goal of creating a common currency and eventually a full political federation. The geographical region encompassed by the EAC covers an area of 1,820,664 sq-km with a combined population of about 149,959,317(2013 est.) The drive for the transformation of the East African region, particularly Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, into a functioning entity with rights and duties in International Relations is not new. It dates back to the time when the three East African colonies were still objects of International Law. However, the aspirations for regional cooperation in East Africa acquired individual sovereignty and legitimacy in the post colonial state in the 1960s driven largely by the Pan-Africanist East African leaders, Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya), Julius K. Nyerere (Tanzania) and Milton A. Obote (Uganda). More specifically, the three East African leaders were, initially at least, interested in ushering in political federation as a springboard for regional integration. This desire was reinforced with their 1963 Nairobi Declaration in which...

Words: 2770 - Pages: 12

Free Essay

Nafta and Mercosur

...Economy and Society Volume 37 Number 2 May 2008: 193Á223 Regional trade agreements and the pursuit of state interests: institutional perspectives from NAFTA and Mercosur Francesco Duina and Jason Buxbaum Abstract Are regional trade agreements (RTAs) carefully crafted projects that systematically advance their member states’ interests or do they instead generate outcomes that frustrate those interests? Works on the most prominent RTA Á the European Union Á have traditionally been split over this question. New research on international organizations parallels that literature. Combining rational choice and historical institutionalism, this article makes a middle-ground case: the limited rationality of national representatives and the complexity of RTAs ensure both the advancement and frustration of national interests. The focus is on shifting national preferences, the unpredictable implications of decisions over time and the pursuit of short-term gains to the benefit of some constituents but not others. Evidence from NAFTA and Mercosur supports these claims while highlighting, in line with recent scholarship, the need to include politics in institutionalist accounts of integration. The conclusion reflects on the findings and explores whether alternative, more flexible designs for RTAs might satisfy more fully the interests of the member states. Keywords: regional trade agreements; rational choice institutionalism; historical institutionalism; NAFTA; Mercosur; international...

Words: 14563 - Pages: 59

Premium Essay

Human Security in Horn of Africa

...“I am one or two days away from death; they will shoot me dead, thus if you give birth to a son please name him after me.” ----An Eritrean victim of human trafficking from The Sinai Desert INTRODUCTION This paper examines the issue of human trafficking as it relates to human security in the Horn of Africa. Trafficking takes place by criminal means through the threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of positions of power or abuse of positions of vulnerability. Further, it relates to all stages of the trafficking process: recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of person. An agreed definition of human trafficking exists under Article 3 of the “Palermo Protocol” on trafficking in persons which went into effect on 25 December 2003. This internationally agreed definition focuses on exploitation of human beings – be it for sexual exploitation, other forms of forced labor, slavery, servitude, or for the removal of human organs. Trafficking is not just a transnational crime across international borders; the definition applies to internal domestic trafficking of human beings. In the Horn of Africa (HOA), both cross border and internal trafficking of women and children is prevalent. For example, in Ethiopia, children are being trafficked into armed conflict where it is reported that over 20,000 of them have been victims. Almost all of the countries in the region have been identified as sources, transit points or destination...

Words: 7776 - Pages: 32

Premium Essay

Management

...Global Business Strategy Formulation Hector Garcia MGT/448 Global Business Strategies January 20th 2013 University of Phoenix Prof. Louis M. Lozada-Sorcia Regional Integration for and Against Articles Regional integration has been around for a long time. A definition is not easily formulated. Ordinarily the term refers to the integration of a nation of states into a larger collection. Regional integration can be described on one hand, as a vital method that requires a country’s eagerness to contribute to or unite into a larger whole. The extent of which what the country shares and establishes in level of integration. The different levels of integration are dependent on a predefined criterion. The descriptions of levels are the advantages and disadvantages of regional integration and how the stage for economic development relates to a potential business opportunity. The main advantage of NAFTA is that it is the world's leading free trade area, connecting more 400 billion people and producing $11 trillion worth of goods and services. NAFTA has two-thirds of the United States exports entering Mexico duty-free and nearly all U.S. exports to Canada enter duty-free.  Each day, just about $1.8 billion is trilateral trade between NAFTA countries. The United States manufactured exports to NAFTA partners increased 78% in the first six years. Massachusetts exports almost $1 billion more to Canada than to any other country in the world...

Words: 798 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Cross National Integration & Co-Operation for Economic Development

...Report On Cross National Integration & co-operation for Economic Development COURSE NO: 304 Course Title: Development Economics Date of Submission: 03/12/2011 MEMBERS OF THE GROUP SL. NO. NAME IDNO /EXAM. ROLL REMARKS 01 MD. Sarwar Alam (L) ID: 08302123 02 MD. Salah Uddin ID: 08302110 03 Mohammad Istiaque Bin kalam ID: 08302122 04 MD. Yeasin Bin Faruque Bhuyan ID: 08302129 05 Hasan Bin Hider ID: 08302031 06 Nilima Sabnam ID: 08302006 07 MD. Fida Hasan Bhuyan ID: 08302056 08 Jewel Aich ID: 08302077 09 Sakib Rahman ID: 08302045 10 Sharmin Sultana ID: 08302060 11 MD. kamrul Hossen ID: 08302094 Letter of Submission November 22, 2011 To, Mr. Md. Abul Basar Assistant Professor Department of Management Studies University of Chittagong. Subject: Submission of report. Dear Sir, We are submitting to you the Term study report titled “Cross National Integration & Co-Operation for Economic Development” in the context of different countries socio economic co-operation and integration that we requested. The report has been prepared as fulfillment of the partial requirement of our course “Development Economics (304)”. In preparing our report, the relevant information is collected and integrated accordingly. It is a matter of pleasure for us to have you as a supervisor of our theoretical with pragmatic experience, which is an integral...

Words: 9610 - Pages: 39

Premium Essay

Us-Led Tpp and China-Led Acep

...TPP/TTIP. NAFTA originated from CUSFTA (Canada-US FTA), which was implemented in 1989, and followed by NAFTA, ratified in 1994. Both EU and NAFTA existed before the WTO finally replaced GATT at the beginning of 1995. The replacement not only greatly expanded sectoral coverage but also replaced the GATT’s quite weak dispute-settlement mechanism.2 The liberalization and integration of trade had mainly proceeded under the auspice of WTO prior to the year 2000. With the evolvement characterized by the widening of the trade agenda to include the movement of people and not just that of goods, services, investments and capital,3 international society called for an update of the WTO. Although the Doha round did inspire some discussion in 2001, developing states fundamentally refused to open their market to the services and goods of the developed ones. With very little progress and protracted timetable, many states had become disappointed with the development and had turned to bilateral or regional FTAs as alternatives rather than under the auspice of the WTO4, seeing as the WTO charter allows for regional, preferential and plurilateral trade associations to coexist. A cluster of new FTAS soon attracted the attention of all states from...

Words: 7863 - Pages: 32