Beyond Borders: The New Regionalism in Latin America

Book excerpt: Although regional integration initiatives have a long history in the world economy, these efforts have expanded significantly since the 1990s. In Latin America and the Caribbean, a wave of regional integration initiatives has included free trade areas, customs unions, and steps towards common markets. The emergence of this "new regionalism"of trade in which global and regional forces complement one another has been driven by such factors as the opening up of economies and structural reforms. This year's edition of Economic and Social Progress in Latin America explores the dimensions of integration, macroeconomic coordination, and the effects of regional integration on productivity, market access, foreign direct investment, infrastructure and income inequality. Topics include subregional integration schemes, the multilateral trade agenda launched in Doha, initiatives such as the Free Trade Area of the Americas, and interregional agreements with the European Union.