IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/cpr/ceprdp/715.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The New Regionalism: A Country Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • de Melo, Jaime
  • Panagariya, Arvind
  • Rodrik, Dani

Abstract

Regional integration is on the rise again, despite its apparent failure among developing countries in the past. The paper first surveys the ambiguous economics of customs unions. We emphasize that the traditional dichotomy between `trade creation' and `trade diversion' is not particularly helpful for policy. In a world with trade restrictions, regional integration presents certain advantages including enhanced bargaining power and market access. We then turn to institutional aspects of regional integration, and point out that integration enforces arbitrage in institutions as well as in markets for goods and factors. This kind of arbitrage can lead to improved economic outcomes by rendering decision-making less sensitive to economically harmful factional interests, especially when regional institutions are designed properly. Finally, we turn to an empirical evaluation of existing schemes. We note there is no evidence that membership in integration schemes has any effect on growth. We close by noting that recent attempts at integration have very different starting points and objectives than past efforts. History is therefore a poor guide to the future of regional integration.

Suggested Citation

  • de Melo, Jaime & Panagariya, Arvind & Rodrik, Dani, 1992. "The New Regionalism: A Country Perspective," CEPR Discussion Papers 715, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:715
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.cepr.org/active/publications/discussion_papers/dp.php?dpno=715
    Download Restriction: CEPR Discussion Papers are free to download for our researchers, subscribers and members. If you fall into one of these categories but have trouble downloading our papers, please contact us at subscribers@cepr.org
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Langhammer, Rolf J. & Hiemenz, Ulrich, 1990. "Regional integration among developing countries: opportunities, obstacles and options," Open Access Publications from Kiel Institute for the World Economy 416, Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel).
    2. Bhagwati, Jagdish, 1990. "Departures from Multilateralism: Regionalism and Aggressive Unilateralism," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 100(403), pages 1304-1317, December.
    3. Krugman, Paul, 1980. "Scale Economies, Product Differentiation, and the Pattern of Trade," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 70(5), pages 950-959, December.
    4. Jonathan Eaton & Gene M. Grossman, 1986. "Optimal Trade and Industrial Policy Under Oligopoly," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 101(2), pages 383-406.
    5. Erzan, Refik & Yeats, Alexander, 1992. "Free trade agreements with the United States : what's in it for Latin America?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 827, The World Bank.
    6. Corden, W M, 1972. "Economies of Scale and Customs Union Theory," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 80(3), pages 465-475, May-June.
    7. Berglas, Eitan, 1979. "Preferential Trading Theory: The n Commodity Case," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 87(2), pages 315-331, April.
    8. Corden, W.M., 1984. "The normative theory of international trade," Handbook of International Economics, in: R. W. Jones & P. B. Kenen (ed.), Handbook of International Economics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 2, pages 63-130, Elsevier.
    9. Corden, W. M., 1976. "Customs union theory and the nonuniformity of tariffs," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 99-106, February.
    10. Lopez, Ramon & Panagariya, Arvind, 1992. "On the Theory of Piecemeal Tariff Reform: The Case of Pure Imported Intermediate Inputs," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(3), pages 615-625, June.
    11. Fischer, Stanley, 1990. "Rules versus discretion in monetary policy," Handbook of Monetary Economics, in: B. M. Friedman & F. H. Hahn (ed.), Handbook of Monetary Economics, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 21, pages 1155-1184, Elsevier.
    12. C. A. Cooper & B. F. Massell, 1965. "Toward a General Theory of Customs Unions for Developing Countries," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 73, pages 461-461.
    13. Robert Summers & Alan Heston, 1988. "A New Set Of International Comparisons Of Real Product And Price Levels Estimates For 130 Countries, 1950–1985," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 34(1), pages 1-25, March.
    14. Wonnacott, Paul & Wonnacott, Ronald, 1984. "How General Is the Case for Unilateral Tariff Reduction?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 74(3), pages 491-491, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. de Melo, Jaime & Montenegro, Claudio & Panagariya, Arvind, 1992. "Regional integration, old and new," Policy Research Working Paper Series 985, The World Bank.
    2. Paul Wonnacott & Ronald Wonnacott, 2005. "What's the Point of Reciprocal Trade Negotiations? Exports, Imports, and Gains from Trade," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(1), pages 1-20, January.
    3. Paul Wonnacott & Ronald J. Wonnacott, 2011. "The Economic Case for Reciprocal Trade Negotiations: Gains from Both Imports and Exports," Chapters, in: Miroslav N. Jovanović (ed.), International Handbook on the Economics of Integration, Volume I, chapter 7, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. McCalla, Alex F., 1992. "GATT, Preferential/Regional Trading Blocks and Agricultural Trade," 1992 Conference (36th), February 10-13, 1992, Canberra, Australia 146544, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    5. Dani Rodrik, 1993. "Trade and Industrial Policy Reform in Developing Countries: A Review of Recent Theory and Evidence," NBER Working Papers 4417, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Fletcher, Stanley M. & Nadolnyak, Denis A., 2005. "Accommodating Imperfect Competition in A Model of World Peanut Trade," 2005 Annual meeting, July 24-27, Providence, RI 19460, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    7. Anis, Aslam H. & Benarroch, Michael & Wen, Quan, 2002. "Persistent protection in an international exit game," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 56(2), pages 465-487, March.
    8. Panagariya, A., 1997. "Preferential trading and the myth of natural trading partners," Japan and the World Economy, Elsevier, vol. 9(4), pages 471-489, December.
    9. Haufler, Andreas & Pflüger, Michael, 2003. "Market structure and the taxation of international trade," Discussion Papers in Economics 106, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    10. Langhammer, Rolf J. & Wößmann, Ludger, . "Erscheinungsformen regionaler Integrationsabkommen im weltwirtschaftlichen Ordnungsrahmen: Defizite und Dynamik," Chapters in Economics,, University of Munich, Department of Economics.
    11. Federico Etro, 2014. "The Theory Of Endogenous Market Structures," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(5), pages 804-830, December.
    12. Foroutan, Faezeh & Pritchett, Lant, 1993. "Intra-sub-Saharan African Trade: Is It Too Little?," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 2(1), pages 74-105, May.
    13. Krugman, Paul R., 1989. "Industrial organization and international trade," Handbook of Industrial Organization, in: R. Schmalensee & R. Willig (ed.), Handbook of Industrial Organization, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 20, pages 1179-1223, Elsevier.
    14. Pokrivcak, Jan, 2007. "Economics and Political Economy of Regional Trade Agreements," Working Papers 7286, TRADEAG - Agricultural Trade Agreements.
    15. Federico J. Diez & Jesse Mora & Alan C. Spearot, 2016. "Firms in international trade," Working Papers 16-25, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
    16. Shiro Takeda, 2010. "A computable general equilibrium analysis of the welfare effects of trade liberalization under different market structures," International Review of Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(1), pages 75-93.
    17. Pol Antràs & Davin Chor, 2021. "Global Value Chains," NBER Working Papers 28549, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    18. Federico Etro, 2011. "Endogenous Market Structures And Strategic Trade Policy," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 52(1), pages 63-84, February.
    19. Richard G. Lipsey & Murray G. Smith, 2011. "Multilateral versus Regional Trading Arrangements: Substitutes or Complements?," Chapters, in: Miroslav N. Jovanović (ed.), International Handbook on the Economics of Integration, Volume I, chapter 3, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    20. Brander, James A., 1995. "Strategic trade policy," Handbook of International Economics, in: G. M. Grossman & K. Rogoff (ed.), Handbook of International Economics, edition 1, volume 3, chapter 27, pages 1395-1455, Elsevier.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Customs Union; Free Trade Area; Growth; Regional Integration;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F13 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Trade Policy; International Trade Organizations
    • F15 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Economic Integration

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:715. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.cepr.org .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.