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Regional Economic Integration : International Trade Area

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Regional economic integration has allowed countries to concentrate on issues that pertain to their respective stages of development, in addition to encouraging trade between neighbors. There are five main stages of economic integration: Free trade area, customs union, common market, economic union and political union. Free trade areas exist as the most basic type of economic cooperation. Here, member countries remove all trade barriers but remain free to determine their own trade policies with nonmember nations. An example of this is the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Customs unions are similar to free trade zones in that they provide economic cooperation, along with the elimination of trade barriers among member countries. The primary difference from the free trade area is that trade with nonmember countries are treated in a similar fashion as trade with member countries. An example of this is The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Common markets exist to create economically integrated markets between member countries. Trade barriers are removed, in addition to any restrictions on the capital and labor movement between member countries. Similar to customs unions, there is a common trade policy with nonmember nations. The primary advantage to workers is that a visa or work permit is not required for employment in another member country of a common market. An example is the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). Economic union is created when

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