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Overview
'Given the remarkable increase in regional integration agreements [RIAs] in the past decade, understanding of their economic rationale and consequences is essential. Schiff and Winters succeed admirably in covering the conceptual, empirical, and policy issues arising from RIAs in an informed, comprehensible, and accessible manner. Their book should be required reading for policy analysts, academics, and students concerned with evaluation of RIA initiatives.'
— Robert M. Stern, Department of Economics and Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan
'Regional Integration and Development' examines regionalism from the perspective of developing countries and presents a comprehensive account of existing theory and empirical results. This book incorporates the findings of formal analyses of the politics and dynamics of regionalism. It considers the relationship between regionalism and multilateralism and explores the economic advantages of nondiscriminatory trade liberalization, which the authors argue should be exploited to the maximum extent. The book also provides rules of thumb for regionalism, rules that are not inviolable but which should not be violated lightly. Designed as a practical guide for policymakers whose countries are considering membership in a trade bloc, this book will also be of interest to scholars and students of international trade.
Synopsis
Researchers at the World Bank published the broad outlines of their findings for a general audience in the 2001 Trade Blocs, and here provide more detail and place greater emphasis on the analytical and intellectual structures used to explore the effects of regionalism on trade. The project also generated over 100 papers, most available on the web, and about half published. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Foreign Affairs
Discriminatory trade arrangements have proliferated in recent years. Emulating earlier actions by the European Community, the United States has negotiated free trade deals with Canada, Chile, Israel, Jordan, Mexico, and Singapore and has begun discussions with a number of other countries. Many developing countries have formed "regional integration agreements" (RIAs) among themselves. Not to be left out, East Asian states, heretofore committed to a multilateral, nondiscriminatory trade regime, are now actively exploring free trade areas. Is this development desirable for participants or outsiders? Does it represent movement, admittedly piecemeal and fragmented, toward more liberal world trade? In this book, two World Bank economists take a comprehensive look at rias involving developing countries, and they do not like what they find. In practice, rias rarely live up to the claims made in their favor and are more likely to divert trade than create it. But since the trend is unlikely to be reversed, the authors wisely provide guidelines, based on their findings, on how to improve rias.