Trade bloc
Encyclopedia
A trade bloc is a type of intergovernmental agreement
, often part of a regional intergovernmental organization, where regional barriers to trade, (tariff
s and non-tariff barriers
) are reduced or eliminated among the participating states.
) initiated in 1834, formed on the basis of the German Confederation
and subsequently German Empire
from 1871. Surges of trade bloc formation were seen 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 under the auspices of regional trade blocs. Economist
Jeffrey J. Scott 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.
Advocates of worldwide free trade
are generally opposed to trading blocs, which, they argue, encourage regional as opposed to global free trade. Scholars and economists continue to debate whether regional trade blocs are leading to a more fragmented world economy or encouraging the extension of the existing global multilateral
trading system. Trade blocs can be stand-alone agreements between several states (such as the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) or part of a regional organization
(such as the European Union
). Depending on the level of economic integration
, trade blocs can fall into different categories, such as: preferential trading area
s, free trade area
s, customs union
s, common markets and economic and monetary union
s.
1 not all members participating yet
2 involving goods, services, telecommunications, transport
(full liberalisation of railways from 2012), energy
(full liberalisation from 2007)
3 telecommunications, transport
and energy
- proposed
4 sensitive goods to be covered from 2019
5 least developed members to join from 2012
6 least developed members to join from 2017
7 Additionally some non member states also participate (the European Union
, EFTA
and NATO have overlapping membership and various common initiatives regarding the European integration
).
8 Additionally some non member states also participate (ASEAN Plus Three)
Trade pact
A trade pact is a wide ranging tax, tariff and trade pact that often includes investment guarantees. The most common trade pacts are of the preferential and free trade types are concluded in order to reduce tariffs, quotas and other trade restrictions on items traded between the signatories.-By...
, often part of a regional intergovernmental organization, where regional barriers to trade, (tariff
Tariff
A tariff may be either tax on imports or exports , or a list or schedule of prices for such things as rail service, bus routes, and electrical usage ....
s and non-tariff barriers
Non-tariff barriers to trade
Non-tariff barriers to trade are trade barriers that restrict imports but are not in the usual form of a tariff. Some common examples of NTB's are anti-dumping measures and countervailing duties, which, although they are called "non-tariff" barriers, have the effect of tariffs once they are...
) are reduced or eliminated among the participating states.
Description
One of the first economic blocs was the German Customs Union (ZollvereinZollverein
thumb|upright=1.2|The German Zollverein 1834–1919blue = Prussia in 1834 grey= Included region until 1866yellow= Excluded after 1866red = Borders of the German Union of 1828 pink= Relevant others until 1834...
) initiated in 1834, formed on the basis of the German Confederation
German Confederation
The German Confederation was the loose association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to coordinate the economies of separate German-speaking countries. It acted as a buffer between the powerful states of Austria and Prussia...
and subsequently German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
from 1871. Surges of trade bloc formation were seen 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 under the auspices of regional trade blocs. Economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
Jeffrey J. Scott 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
GNP
Gross National Product is the market value of all products and services produced in one year by labor and property supplied by the residents of a country...
, geographic proximity, similar or compatible trading regimes, and political commitment to regional organization.
Advocates of worldwide free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
are generally opposed to trading blocs, which, they argue, encourage regional as opposed to global free trade. Scholars and economists continue to debate whether regional trade blocs are leading to a more fragmented world economy or encouraging the extension of the existing global multilateral
Multilateralism
Multilateralism is a term in international relations that refers to multiple countries working in concert on a given issue.International organizations, such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization are multilateral in nature...
trading system. Trade blocs can be stand-alone agreements between several states (such as the North American Free Trade Agreement
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
(NAFTA) or part of a regional organization
Regional organization
Regional Organisations are in a sense, international organizations , as they incorporate international membership and encompass geopolitical entities that operationally transcend a single nation state...
(such as the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
). Depending on the level of economic integration
Economic integration
Economic integration refers to trade unification between different states by the partial or full abolishing of customs tariffs on trade taking place within the borders of each state...
, trade blocs can fall into different categories, such as: preferential trading area
Preferential trading area
A Preferential trade area is a trading bloc which gives preferential access to certain products from the participating countries. This is done by reducing tariffs, but not by abolishing them completely. A PTA can be established through a trade pact. It is the first stage of economic integration...
s, free trade area
Free trade area
A free trade area is a trade bloc whose member countries have signed a free trade agreement , which eliminates tariffs, import quotas, and preferences on most goods and services traded between them. If people are also free to move between the countries, in addition to FTA, it would also be...
s, customs union
Customs union
A customs union is a type of trade bloc which is composed of a free trade area with a common external tariff. The participant countries set up common external trade policy, but in some cases they use different import quotas...
s, common markets and economic and monetary union
Economic and monetary union
An economic and monetary union is a type of trade bloc which is composed of an economic union with a monetary union. It is to be distinguished from a mere monetary union , which does not involve a common market. This is the fifth stage of economic integration...
s.
Lists of trade blocs
- List of preferential trade areas
- List of free trade areas (bilateral, multilateral)
- List of customs unions
- List of common markets
- List of economic unions
- List of monetary unions
- List of customs and monetary unions
- List of economic and monetary unions
Statistics of trade blocs
| Trade bloc | Population | Gross domestic product | Members | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 2007 | growth | per capita | |||
| Common markets, Economic Economic union An economic union is a type of trade bloc which is composed of a common market with a customs union. The participant countries have both common policies on product regulation, freedom of movement of goods, services and the factors of production and a common external trade policy.The countries... and Economic and monetary union An economic and monetary union is a type of trade bloc which is composed of an economic union with a monetary union. It is to be distinguished from a mere monetary union , which does not involve a common market. This is the fifth stage of economic integration... Monetary unions |
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| EMU Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union The Economic and Monetary Union is an umbrella term for the group of policies aimed at converging the economies of members of the European Union in three stages so as to allow them to adopt a single currency, the euro. As such, it is largely synonymous with the eurozone.All member states of the... |
324,879,195 | 10,685,946,928,310 | 12,225,304,229,686 | 14.41% | 37,630 | |
| OECS Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States , created in 1981, is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration, protection of human and legal rights, and the encouragement of good governance between countries and dependencies in the Eastern Caribbean... |
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 | |
| EEA European Economic Area The European Economic Area was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between the member states of the European Free Trade Association and the European Community, later the European Union . Specifically, it allows Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to participate in the EU's Internal... |
499,620,521 | 14,924,076,504,592 | 17,186,876,431,709 | 15.16% | 34,400 | |
| Customs and monetary union Customs and Monetary Union An customs and monetary union is a type of trade bloc which is composed of a customs union and a currency union. The participant countries have both common external trade policy and share a single currency.... s |
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| 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 union Customs union A customs union is a type of trade bloc which is composed of a free trade area with a common external tariff. The participant countries set up common external trade policy, but in some cases they use different import quotas... s |
||||||
| CAN | 96,924,486 | 281,269,141,372 | 334,172,968,648 | 18.81% | 3,448 | |
| EAC East African Community The East African Community is an intergovernmental organisation comprising the five east African countries Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Pierre Nkurunziza, the President of the Republic of Burundi, is the current Chairman of the East African Community. The EAC was originally... |
127,107,838 | 49,882,030,443 | 61,345,180,041 | 22.98% | 483 | |
| EUCU European Union Customs Union The European Union Customs Union is a customs union which consists of all the Member States of the European Union and a number of surrounding countries.... |
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 Southern African Customs Union The Southern African Customs Union is a customs union among five countries of Southern Africa: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.-History:SACU is the oldest still existing customs union in the world... |
268,445,656 | 1,499,811,549,187 | 1,848,337,158,281 | 23.24% | 6,885 | |
| Preferential trade areas and Free trade area Free trade area A free trade area is a trade bloc whose member countries have signed a free trade agreement , which eliminates tariffs, import quotas, and preferences on most goods and services traded between them. If people are also free to move between the countries, in addition to FTA, it would also be... s |
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| AANZFTA-ASEAN+3 | 2,085,858,841 | 10,216,029,899,764 | 11,323,947,181,804 | 10.84% | 5,429 | |
| ALADI Latin American Integration Association The Asociación Latinoamericana de Integración is a Latin American trade integration association, based in Montevideo. Its main objective is the establishment of a common market, in pursuit of the economic and social development of the region... |
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 Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement The , previouslyknown as the and renamed 2 November 2005, was signed in1975. It is the oldest preferential trade agreement between developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region.... |
2,714,464,027 | 4,868,614,302,744 | 5,828,692,637,764 | 19.72% | 2,147 | |
| CARIFORUM Caribbean Community The Caribbean Community is an organisation of 15 Caribbean nations and dependencies. CARICOM's main purposes are to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, to ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and to coordinate foreign policy... -EUCU European Union Customs Union The European Union Customs Union is a customs union which consists of all the Member States of the European Union and a number of surrounding countries.... -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 Central European Free Trade Agreement The Central European Free Trade Agreement is a trade agreement between non-EU countries in Southeast Europe.-Members:As of 1 May 2007, the parties of the CEFTA agreement are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and UNMIK on behalf of Kosovo.Former... |
27,968,711 | 110,263,802,023 | 135,404,501,031 | 22.80% | 4,841 | |
| CISFTA Commonwealth of Independent States The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union.... |
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 Economic Community of West African States The Economic Community of West African States is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.... |
283,096,250 | 215,999,071,943 | 255,784,634,128 | 18.42% | 904 | |
| EFTA European Free Trade Association The European Free Trade Association or EFTA is a free trade organisation between four European countries that operates parallel to, and is linked to, the European Union . EFTA was established on 3 May 1960 as a trade bloc-alternative for European states who were either unable to, or chose not to,... -SACU Sacu Sacu is a commune in Caraş-Severin County, western Romania with a population of 1681 people. It is composed of three villages: Sacu, Sălbăgelu Nou and Tincova.-References:... |
68,199,991 | 1,021,509,931,918 | 1,139,385,636,888 | 11.54% | 16,707 | |
| EAEC Eurasian Economic Community The Eurasian Economic Community originated from the Commonwealth of Independent States customs union between Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan on 29 March 1996... |
207,033,990 | 1,125,634,333,117 | 1,465,256,182,498 | 30.17% | 7,077 | |
| NAFTA North American Free Trade Agreement The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement... |
449,227,672 | 15,337,094,304,218 | 16,189,097,801,318 | 5.56% | 36,038 | |
| TPP Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership The Trans-Pacific Partnership , also known as the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, is a multilateral free trade agreement that aims to further liberalise the economies of the Asia-Pacific region; specifically, Article 1.1.3 notes: “The Parties seek to support the wider... |
25,639,622 | 401,810,366,865 | 468,101,167,294 | 16.50% | 18,257 | |
| SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is an organisation of South Asian nations, founded in December 1985 by Ziaur Rahman and dedicated to economic, technological, social, and cultural development emphasising collective self-reliance. Its seven founding members are Bangladesh,... |
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 | |
Comparison between regional trade blocs
| Activities | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regional bloc | Free Trade Area Free trade area A free trade area is a trade bloc whose member countries have signed a free trade agreement , which eliminates tariffs, import quotas, and preferences on most goods and services traded between them. If people are also free to move between the countries, in addition to FTA, it would also be... | |Economic and monetary union Economic and monetary union An economic and monetary union is a type of trade bloc which is composed of an economic union with a monetary union. It is to be distinguished from a mere monetary union , which does not involve a common market. This is the fifth stage of economic integration... | Free Travel Travel Travel is the movement of people or objects between relatively distant geographical locations. 'Travel' can also include relatively short stays between successive movements.-Etymology:... | | Political Politics Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the... pact | |Defence pact | Customs Union Customs union A customs union is a type of trade bloc which is composed of a free trade area with a common external tariff. The participant countries set up common external trade policy, but in some cases they use different import quotas... | Single Market Single market A single market is a type of trade bloc which is composed of a free trade area with common policies on product regulation, and freedom of movement of the factors of production and of enterprise and services. The goal is that the movement of capital, labour, goods, and services between the members... | Currency Union Currency union A currency union is where two or more states share the same currency, though without there necessarily having any further integration such as an Economic and Monetary Union, which has in addition a customs union and a single market.There are three types of currency unions:#Informal - unilateral... | Visa-free Visa (document) A visa is a document showing that a person is authorized to enter the territory for which it was issued, subject to permission of an immigration official at the time of actual entry. The authorization may be a document, but more commonly it is a stamp endorsed in the applicant's passport... | Border-less Border control Border controls are measures used by a country to monitor or regulate its borders.The control of the flow of many people, animals and goods across a border may be controlled by government Customs services. Security is enforced by various kinds of Border Guards and Coast Guards... |
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| EU European Union The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958... |
in force | in force7 | in force European Economic Area The European Economic Area was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between the member states of the European Free Trade Association and the European Community, later the European Union . Specifically, it allows Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to participate in the EU's Internal... 2 |
in force Eurozone The eurozone , officially called the euro area, is an economic and monetary union of seventeen European Union member states that have adopted the euro as their common currency and sole legal tender... 1 |
in force | in force (Schengen 1, 7 and CTA Common Travel Area The Common Travel Area is a passport-free zone that comprises the islands of Ireland, Great Britain, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The area's internal borders are subject to minimal or non-existent border controls and can normally be crossed by Irish and British citizens with only... 1) |
in force | in force (NATO 1, 7 and CFSP Common Foreign and Security Policy The Common Foreign and Security Policy is the organised, agreed foreign policy of the European Union for mainly security and defence diplomacy and actions. CFSP deals only with a specific part of the EU's external relations, which domains include mainly Trade and Commercial Policy and other areas... /ESDP European Security and Defence Policy The Common Security and Defence Policy , formerly known as the European Security and Defence Policy , is a major element of the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union and is the domain of EU policy covering defence and military aspects... 1) |
ESA European Space Agency The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states... 1, 7 |
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| EFTA European Free Trade Association The European Free Trade Association or EFTA is a free trade organisation between four European countries that operates parallel to, and is linked to, the European Union . EFTA was established on 3 May 1960 as a trade bloc-alternative for European states who were either unable to, or chose not to,... |
in force | in force European Economic Area The European Economic Area was established on 1 January 1994 following an agreement between the member states of the European Free Trade Association and the European Community, later the European Union . Specifically, it allows Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to participate in the EU's Internal... 2, 7 |
in force | in force 1, 7 | in force 1, 7 | ESA European Space Agency The European Space Agency , established in 1975, is an intergovernmental organisation dedicated to the exploration of space, currently with 18 member states... 1, 7 |
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| CARICOM Caribbean Community The Caribbean Community is an organisation of 15 Caribbean nations and dependencies. CARICOM's main purposes are to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, to ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and to coordinate foreign policy... |
in force | in force | in force CARICOM Single Market and Economy The CARICOM Single Market and Economy, also known as the Caribbean Single Market and Economy , is an integrated development strategy envisioned at the 10th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community which took place in July 1989 in Grand Anse, Grenada... 1 |
in force East Caribbean dollar The East Caribbean dollar is the currency of eight of the nine members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States... 1 and proposed common |
in force 1 | proposed | proposed | NWFZ Treaty of Tlatelolco The Treaty of Tlatelolco is the conventional name given to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean... | |||||||
| AU African Union The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity... | ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States The Economic Community of West African States is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.... | in force 1, 3 | in force 1 | proposed | in force 1 and proposed for 2012 1 and proposed common | in force 1 | proposed | proposed | in force | NWFZ1 | |||||
| ECCAS Economic Community of Central African States The Economic Community of Central African States is an Economic Community of the African Union for promotion of regional economic co-operation in Central Africa... | in force1 | in force1 | proposed | in force1 | in force | in force | NWFZ1 | ||||||||
| EAC East African Community The East African Community is an intergovernmental organisation comprising the five east African countries Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. Pierre Nkurunziza, the President of the Republic of Burundi, is the current Chairman of the East African Community. The EAC was originally... | in force | in force | proposed for 2015 | proposed for 2012 East African shilling The shilling was the currency issued for use in British controlled areas in East Africa from 1921 until 1969. It was produced by the East African Currency Board... | proposed | ? | proposed for 2015 | NWFZ1 | |||||||
| SADC Southern African Development Community The Southern African Development Community is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. Its goal is to further socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security cooperation among 15 southern African states... | in force1 | in force Southern African Customs Union The Southern African Customs Union is a customs union among five countries of Southern Africa: Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland.-History:SACU is the oldest still existing customs union in the world... 1 | proposed for 2015 | de-facto in force Common Monetary Area The Common Monetary Area links South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland into a monetary union. It is allied to the Southern African Customs Union . Namibia automatically became a member upon independence, but withdrew with the introduction of the Namibian dollar in 1993... 1 and proposed common for 2016 | proposed | NWFZ1 | |||||||||
| COMESA Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, is a free trade area with nineteen member states stretching from Libya to Zimbabwe. COMESA formed in December 1994, replacing a Preferential Trade Area which had existed since 1981... | in force1 | proposed for 2010 | ? | proposed for 2018 | NWFZ1 | ||||||||||
| Common African Economic Community The African Economic Community is an organization of African Union states establishing grounds for mutual economic development among the majority of African states... | proposed for 2019 | proposed for 2019 | proposed for 2023 | proposed for 2028 | proposed for 2028 | NWFZ1 | |||||||||
| UNASUR | MERCOSUR Mercosur Mercosur or Mercosul is an economic and political agreement among Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Founded in 1991 by the Treaty of Asunción, which was later amended and updated by the 1994 Treaty of Ouro Preto. Its purpose is to promote free trade and the fluid movement of goods, people,... | in force | in force | proposed for 2015 | in force | proposed for 2014 | NWFZ Treaty of Tlatelolco The Treaty of Tlatelolco is the conventional name given to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean... | ||||||||
| CAN | in force | in force 1 | proposed1 | in force | NWFZ Treaty of Tlatelolco The Treaty of Tlatelolco is the conventional name given to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean... | ||||||||||
| Common | proposed for 2014 4 | proposed for not after 2019 | proposed for 2019 | proposed for 2019 | in force | proposed for 2019 | proposed | in force | NWFZ Treaty of Tlatelolco The Treaty of Tlatelolco is the conventional name given to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean... > | ||||||
| EurAsEC Eurasian Economic Community The Eurasian Economic Community originated from the Commonwealth of Independent States customs union between Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan on 29 March 1996... |
in force1 | in force Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia The Customs Union between Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia came into existence on January 1, 2010. Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia are to go on with economic integration and were set to remove all customs borders between each other after July 2011.... 1 |
proposed for 20121 | Proposed | in force | in force Collective Security Treaty Organization The Collective Security Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance which was signed on 15 May 1992. On 7 October 2002, the Presidents of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan signed a charter in Tashkent founding the CSTO.Nikolai Bordyuzha was appointed... 1 |
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| AL Arab League The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a... | GCC | in force | proposed for 2012 | proposed | proposed 1 | in force | |||||||||
| Common Council of Arab Economic Unity The Council of Arab Economic Unity was established by Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Mauritania, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen on 3 June 1957... | in force1 | proposed for 2015 Arab Customs Union The Arab customs union is a customs union announced at the Arab League's 2009 Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in Kuwait in order to achieve a functional customs union by 2015 and an Arab common market by 2020 and to increase inter-Arab trade and integration.The announcement was made by... | proposed for 2020 | proposed Arab Monetary Fund The Arab Monetary Fund is a regional Arab organization, founded 1976, and operational from 1977. It is a working sub-organization of the Arab League.-Objectives:... | proposed | > | |||||||||
| ASEAN Association of Southeast Asian Nations The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, commonly abbreviated ASEAN rarely ), is a geo-political and economic organization of ten countries located in Southeast Asia, which was formed on 8 August 1967 by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Since then, membership has... |
in force ASEAN Free Trade Area ASEAN Free Trade Area is a trade bloc agreement by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations supporting local manufacturing in all ASEAN countries.... 5 |
proposed for 2015 | proposed 8 | in force | proposed for 2015 | proposed for 2020 | NWFZ | ||||||||
| CAIS Central American Integration System Central American Integration System is the economic, cultural and political organization of Central American states since February 1, 1993. It was on December 13, 1991, however, when all the countries of the ODECA signed the Protocol of Tegucigalpa which extended the earlier cooperation in search... |
in force1 | proposed | ? | in force1 | in force Central America-4 Border Control Agreement The Central America-4 Border Control Agreement was a treaty signed in June 2006 between the Central American nations of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, establishing the free movement across borders between the four signatory states of its citizens without any restrictions or checks... 1 |
proposed Central American Parliament The Central American Parliament , also known as PARLACEN is a political institution devoted to the integration of the Central American countries. Its headquarters are in Guatemala City.... |
NWFZ Treaty of Tlatelolco The Treaty of Tlatelolco is the conventional name given to the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean... |
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| CEFTA Central European Free Trade Agreement The Central European Free Trade Agreement is a trade agreement between non-EU countries in Southeast Europe.-Members:As of 1 May 2007, the parties of the CEFTA agreement are: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and UNMIK on behalf of Kosovo.Former... |
in force | RCC7 | |||||||||||||
| NAFTA | in force | in force 1, 7 | |||||||||||||
| SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is an organisation of South Asian nations, founded in December 1985 by Ziaur Rahman and dedicated to economic, technological, social, and cultural development emphasising collective self-reliance. Its seven founding members are Bangladesh,... |
in force 1, 6 | ||||||||||||||
| PIF Pacific Islands Forum The Pacific Islands Forum is an inter-governmental organization that aims to enhance cooperation between the independent countries of the Pacific Ocean. It was founded in 1971 as the South Pacific Forum... |
proposed for 20211 | NWFZ Treaty of Rarotonga The Treaty of Rarotonga is the common name for the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, which formalizes a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the South Pacific... 1 |
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1 not all members participating yet
2 involving goods, services, telecommunications, transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
(full liberalisation of railways from 2012), energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
(full liberalisation from 2007)
3 telecommunications, transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
and energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
- proposed
4 sensitive goods to be covered from 2019
5 least developed members to join from 2012
6 least developed members to join from 2017
7 Additionally some non member states also participate (the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, EFTA
European Free Trade Association
The European Free Trade Association or EFTA is a free trade organisation between four European countries that operates parallel to, and is linked to, the European Union . EFTA was established on 3 May 1960 as a trade bloc-alternative for European states who were either unable to, or chose not to,...
and NATO have overlapping membership and various common initiatives regarding the European integration
European integration
European integration is the process of industrial, political, legal, economic integration of states wholly or partially in Europe...
).
8 Additionally some non member states also participate (ASEAN Plus Three)