Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
5: Economic Integration
Definitions
1. Economic integration is a process where countries coordinate and link their economic
policies. This leads to a decrease in trade barriers between the countries, with their fiscal
and monetary policies becoming more closely harmonized.
2. Trading blocs is a group of countries that join together in some form of agreement in
order to increase trade between themselves and/or to gain economic benefits from
cooperation on some level. This coming together is economic integration..
3. Free Trade Area (FTA) is an agreement made between countries, where the countries
agree to trade freely among themselves, but are able to trade with countries outside the
free trade area in whatever way they wish.
4. Customs union is an agreement made between countries, where the countries agree to
trade freely among themselves, and they also agree to adopt common external barriers
against any country attempting to import into the customs union.
5. Common Market is a customs union (where countries agree to trade freely among
themselves, and they also agree to adopt common external barriers against any country
attempting to import into the customs union) with common policies on product
regulation, and free movement of goods, services, capital and labor.
6. Economic/monetary union is a common market (where countries agree to trade freely
among themselves, and they also agree to adopt common external barriers against any
country attempting to import into the customs union, adopt common policies on product
regulation, and free movement of goods, services, capital and labor) with a common
currency and a common central bank.
7. Trade creation is an advantage of greater economic integration, occurring when the
entry of a country into a customs union leads to the production of a good moving from a
high-cost producer to a low-cost producer.
8. Trade diversion is a disadvantage of greater economic integration, occurring when the
entry of a country into a customs union leads to the production of a good moving from a
low-cost producer to a high-cost producer.
3. Customs union
● Same as Free Trade Area, but countries adopt common external barriers against any
country attempting to import into customs union.
● Examples include all common markets and monetary unions, such as:
❖ European Union.
❖ Switzerland - Liechtenstein customs union.
❖ East African Community between Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania
❖ Mercosur between Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.
4. Common Market
● Customs union with common policies on product regulation, and free movement of
goods, services, capital and labor.
● Examples include:
● European Union
● CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME) between countries in South America.
1. Trade Creation
● Advantage of greater economic integration.
● Occurs when entry of a country into a customs union leads to production of a good
or service transferring from a high-cost producer → low-cost producer.
S(US)
S(US)
Loss of Loss
Price of
of world efficiency consumer
Biscuits surplus
S(Thai)
P(Thai+tariff) +tariff
($)
P(UK)
Q1 Q2 Q3
S(UK)
P(Thai) Q4
Quantity of Biscuits (tons)
S(Thai)
D(US)