Includes index and bibliographical reference.

Contents: Chapter 1: Regional integration agreements: An overview: RIAs in history -- Why regionalism? -- Why another book on regionalism? -- Summary -- Chapter 2: How trade blocs increase trade and competition: Increased trade between members of trade blocs -- Is more trade good, or bad? Trade creation and trade diversion -- Growth of trade overtime -- Not all changes come from regionalism -- A change of perspective: Imperfectly competitive markets -- Larger markets, more competition -- Chapter 3: Making the most of regional integration: Free trade with whom? -- How many RIAs -- Free trade areas and customs unions -- External trade policy -- Integration and taxes -- Chapter 4: Stimulating investment : Investment policies -- Integration as an aid to credibility - not an automatic effect -- RIAs as an investment stimuli -- Regional integration and foreign direct investment -- Chapter 5: Growth and location: South-South and North-South regionalism as stimulants to growth -- Agglomeration and industrialization -- Chapter 6: Integrating domestic policies: Defining policy integration -- The economics of policy integration -- Policy integration to date: More promise than reality coverage -- Conclusion -- Chapter 7: Regional integration as a politics: Regional integration as a means of reducing frictions between antagonistic neighbors -- RIAs and social and political pressures: Potentially helpful,but not a panacea -- The role of regional integration in strengthening democracy and political institutions -- Regionalism and the Nation-State -- Chapter 8: Trade blocs and the rest of the world: Trade discrimination: Still significant -- Trade diversion and excluded countries -- The road to multilateralism: Are RIAs stepping stones, or millstones? -- Regionalism and the WTO -- Chapter 9: Rules of thumb for regionalism -- Annex: Selected WTO provisions on regional integration arrangements -- Bibliography -- Index.