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A trade bloc is a type of intergovernmental agreement, often part of a regional intergovernmental organization, where regional barriers to trade, (tariffs and non-tariff barriers) are reduced or eliminated among the participating states.〔Schott 1991, 1.〕 ==Description== Historic economic blocs include the Hanseatic League, a trading alliance in northern Europe in existence between the 13th and 17th centuries and the German Customs Union (''Zollverein'') initiated in 1834, formed on the basis of the German Confederation and subsequently German Empire from 1871. Surges of trade bloc formation were seen in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as in the 1990s after the collapse of Communism. By 1997, more than 50% of all world commerce was conducted within regional trade blocs.〔Milner 2002, 450.〕 Economist Jeffrey J. Scott of the Peterson Institute for International Economics notes that members of successful trade blocs usually share four common traits: similar levels of per capita GNP, geographic proximity, similar or compatible trading regimes, and political commitment to regional organization.〔Schott 1991, 2.〕 Advocates of worldwide free trade are generally opposed to trading blocs, which, they argue, encourage regional as opposed to global free trade.〔O'Loughlin and Anselin 1996, 136.〕 Scholars and economists continue to debate whether regional trade blocs are leading to a more fragmented world economy or encouraging the extension of the existing global multilateral trading system.〔Milner 2002, 458.〕〔Mansfield and Milner 2005, 330.〕 Trade blocs can be stand-alone agreements between several states (such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)) or part of a regional organization (such as the European Union). Depending on the level of economic integration, trade blocs can fall into different categories, such as:〔Mansfield and Milner 2005, 333.〕 preferential trading areas, free trade areas, customs unions, common markets and economic and monetary unions. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Trade bloc」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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