At the end of the 20th century, when we spin the globe, it is easy to find 65,438+000 countries that have participated in regional economic integration organizations, but it is difficult to find 65,438+00 countries that have not participated in regional economic integration organizations. So far, countries that have not joined any regional economic integration organizations are rare in Europe, the birthplace of regional economic integration, and also rare in Asia, Africa and Latin America, where economic development is backward.
? At present, there are not many countries that live in isolation and struggle alone outside regional economic integration organizations. According to statistics, there are dozens of regional economic integration organizations, and the number of countries and regions registered with the World Trade Organization to participate in a regional economic agreement has now reached more than 150. Some countries have also joined two or more regional economic integration organizations. Such as Britain and Sweden. Is a member of the European Free Trade Association and the European Union; Mexico is a member of the North American Free Trade Area and has signed free trade agreements with Colombia, Venezuela and seven Central American countries.
? Regional economic integration means that two or more countries are close to each other or within a specific geographical scope. In order to safeguard their existing economic and political interests and realize the future, they signed some kind of intergovernmental treaty or agreement, formulated a code of conduct, coordinated policies, and even established a * * * institution authorized by governments of various countries to carry out long-term and stable supranational economic adjustment, thus realizing and realizing it.
The connotation of economic integration is quite extensive. It can be a realization process or a planned goal; It can refer to the unified labor market, commodity and service market and their realization process, as well as the unified capital and money market and their realization process; It can be a reduction or exemption of tariffs among member States, or a unified external tariff among member States; It can be a preferential tariff zone, a free trade zone, a customs union or a market, economic and monetary union.
? There are various types and levels of regional economic integration. Generally speaking, all regions choose the type of regional economic integration that suits their own needs according to their specific social and economic conditions, and according to the principle of gradual progress from low-level types to high-level types, they lose no time to improve the type and level of regional economic integration.
? According to the order of types or levels from low to high, regional economic integration can be roughly divided into eight types or levels, such as special preferential tariff zone, single commodity integration, free trade zone, customs union, common market, economic union, monetary union and economic and political union. The following is a brief introduction to each type:
? I. Special preferential tariff zones
It is the lowest level of regional economic integration, and the links among its member countries are the loosest. It refers to the regional economic integration formed by two or more countries with specific geographical relations signing intergovernmental treaties or agreements to provide special preferential tariff rates for all or part of the goods of member countries. The special customs territory of the British Empire, established by Britain and other members of the Commonwealth, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which was composed of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines in Southeast Asia after the Second World War, all belong to this type.
? Second, the integration of individual commodities.
It is a low-level regional economic integration with a narrow scope of constraints. It refers to two or more countries with specific geographical relations, through signing intergovernmental treaties or agreements, putting the commodity production and sales of individual industrial sectors of each member country under the control of a supranational management agency. 1954 The "European coal-steel isomorphism" established by France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and other six countries belongs to this type. "European coal-steel isomorphism" is the embryonic form of later "European isomorphism" and today's "EU". The main purpose of establishing "European Coal and Steel" in France and Germany is to eliminate non-tariff barriers such as tariffs and quantitative restrictions on coal and steel trade in six countries, to implement centralized and unified management of coal and steel production, transportation, sales and investment in member countries, and to eliminate wars between member countries and even the whole of Europe forever through economic integration, thus achieving lasting peace and stability in Europe.
Three. Free trade area
It is a widely used form of regional economic integration. It refers to the regional economic integration in which two or more countries with specific geographical relations sign intergovernmental treaties or agreements, remove tariff and non-tariff barriers between them, and allow goods to flow freely among member countries. The main feature is the reduction or even exemption of tariffs among countries in the region, while the tariffs of countries outside the region remain unchanged. Each member country can still decide its own trade restriction policies, such as tariffs and non-tariffs on countries outside the region. In order to prevent goods from non-member countries from entering member countries with higher tariffs through member countries with lower tariffs, border customs are still set up among members of the free trade zone, and the principle of origin of goods is implemented. The North American Free Trade Area established by the United States, Canada and Mexico is such a typical free trade area.
? Fourth, customs union.
It is a kind of regional economic integration higher than free trade area.
It means that two or more countries with specific geographical relations, by signing intergovernmental treaties or agreements, stipulate that all member countries implement zero tariffs, eliminate all non-tariff barriers, and implement the same tariff rate and trade quota system for countries outside the alliance. There is no need to set up customs at the borders of member States for customs inspection. At present, few regional economic integration organizations have entered the level of customs union, but now the European Union has realized the customs union as early as the 1960s and 1970s.
Verb (abbreviation for verb) * * * Same market
This is a higher level of regional economic integration. It refers to the establishment of a unified market by two or more countries with specific geographical relations by signing intergovernmental treaties or agreements, and the spontaneous flow of goods, production factors and capital among member countries. Implement a unified tariff policy for countries outside the region like a customs union. In terms of production, product standardization and indirect taxes are coordinated. In terms of capital flow, a coordinated financing system is implemented. Labor mobility implements a system of mutual recognition of academic qualifications and technical levels. In the * * * same market, the supranational * * same economic control goes further than the customs union and has been greatly strengthened. In the early 1990s, Europe has basically realized the free flow of goods, services and capital among its member countries.
? 6. Economic Union? It is an advanced form of regional economic integration.
It means that two or more countries with specific geographical relations establish supranational institutions by signing intergovernmental treaties and agreements, and further coordinate economic and social policies among member countries on the basis of the same market, including fiscal policies, monetary policies, economic growth policies, social welfare policies and policies related to trade and production factors. At present, the EU is the only regional economic integration organization that truly reaches the level of economic union. The Treaty on European Economic Union was signed on 1992, 65438+February 7, and came into effect on 1993, 165438+ 10. The main goals set by the European Economic Union have been basically achieved.
? 7. Monetary Union? It is a regional economic integration higher than economic union. It refers to two or more countries with specific geographical relations, through signing intergovernmental treaties or agreements, stipulating that member countries will implement a unified monetary policy and a single currency. Implementing a single currency is the main difference between monetary union and economic union. Since the manufacture and distribution of currency is one of the main sovereignty of a country, the monetary union of single currency is not only a regional economic integration organization, but also a federal country. 1 1 France, Germany, Italy and other European countries joined the European monetary union on 1 99965438+1October1,and will formally implement the single currency euro in 2002.
? 8. Economic and political union? This is the highest form of regional economic integration. It is developed on the basis of economic union and monetary union. In the stage of economic and political alliance, the members of the alliance established a central organization that can formulate unified policies. Member States that have reached the stage of economic and political union have actually formed a federal or confederate state. At present, no regional economic integration organization in the world has reached this stage, but the EU is moving towards this goal.
The main characteristics and differences of the above eight regional economic integration are as follows:
The emergence of regional economic integration can be traced back to 1932. At that time, in order to reduce or exempt tariffs from each other, Britain and Commonwealth member countries jointly established the Commonwealth Special Preferential Tariff Area. In the second half of the 20th century, especially in the 1990s after the end of the Cold War between East and West, regional economic integration developed rapidly. The European Coal and Steel Union was established in 195 1. Most economic integration organizations in Africa and Latin America were established in the 1960s and 1970s. The establishment of the European Union, the introduction of the euro and the establishment of the North American Free Trade Area were all in the 1990s.
? Over the past half century, regional economic integration has developed rapidly for many reasons, but mainly in the following seven aspects: 1. The need for rational utilization and distribution of human and material resources is unbalanced among countries. The imbalance between the supply and demand of various material resources and labor at all levels in a country is absolute. Many factors of production are common, and many factors of production are common. Therefore, if a country or region wants to rationally utilize and allocate its human and material resources and improve the speed and quality of its economic development, it needs multinational cooperation to exchange needed commodities. The regional economic integration of neighboring countries or countries with specific geographical scope can solve this problem. ? Second, the need to develop economies of scale and improve labor productivity.
? In the modern production with increasingly intensive technology and capital, to enhance the competitiveness of enterprises, it is necessary to expand the economic scale and improve labor productivity. With the implementation of regional economic integration, the production factors and commodities of all member countries can flow freely, which is naturally conducive to the expansion of enterprise economic scale and the improvement of labor productivity.
? Third, it is necessary to reduce production and circulation costs and stabilize prices.
Neighboring countries implement regional economic integration, reduce or cancel tariffs among member countries, increase the proportion of trade with neighboring countries, reduce the transportation costs of imported raw materials and exported finished products, naturally reduce the production and circulation costs of enterprises and increase profits. Reducing the production and circulation costs of products and increasing the supply of commodities in the market are conducive to stabilizing prices and controlling inflation.
? 4. The need to expand commodity trade and factor markets? The implementation of regional economic integration, through the signing of government treaties or agreements between member countries, provides for the mutual abolition or reduction of non-tariff barriers such as tariffs and trade quotas, allowing the free flow of goods and factors. In fact, it is to expand the market scope of member countries from one country in the past to many countries, so that the market scope of commodity elements is absolutely expanded. While reducing or exempting tariffs in the region to facilitate trade and investment, tariff and non-tariff barriers to countries outside the region remain unchanged. Then, the commodity and factor markets of member countries are relatively expanded.
? V. Necessity of stabilizing currency exchange rate and preventing financial crisis
Of course, any country mainly relies on itself to stabilize its currency exchange rate, prevent financial crisis or reduce losses, which is beyond doubt. However, with the internationalization of finance and capital, the pervasive international speculative capital is as high as several trillion dollars (higher than the gross domestic product of most countries in the world), it is difficult to compete with international speculators who are strong enough to fall in love with the country only by relying on the strength of a country, especially a weak country. The East Asian financial crisis from 1997 to 1 998 is proof. Therefore, it is very necessary for countries that are close to each other but have vital economic interests to unite, implement regional economic integration, stabilize exchange rates with * * * and prevent financial crisis.
? Sixth, the need to coordinate and enhance external competitiveness
? Countries with weak or relatively weak economic strength are in a very unfavorable position in the face of fierce competition from powerful countries or groups in the world market. If these countries want to get rid of the predicament in the market competition, they must establish regional economic integration organizations and enhance their competitive strength through transnational alliances. At that time, the main purpose of the establishment of the European Union was to enhance the overall competitiveness of member States with the United States and the Soviet Union. Facing the challenge of increasingly close economic integration in Europe, the United States and other countries have established the North American Free Trade Area.
? Seven. The necessity of achieving regional peace and stability
? Under the principle of complete voluntariness and equality, regional economic integration has been implemented, and all member countries have got into a chariot, and their economic interests have been tied together, which has become a relationship of one glory and one loss. Conflicts and frictions among Member States should and can be resolved through equal consultation. The markets of multinational companies in member countries invest in each other, penetrate each other and merge with each other, forming an economic relationship between you and me, enjoying each other's living space or having a tendency to enjoy each other, making it impossible for the other party to resort to force to resolve disputes. Political relations depend on economic relations. Economic integration will make extreme politics, that is, war, lose the soil for survival. At that time, the main purpose of European economic integration was to eliminate European wars forever and realize lasting peace and stability in Europe.
? Regional economic integration organizations are established by all member countries in the principle of complete equality and voluntariness for common interests. This objectively determines the stability of the relationship between the integration organization and its member States. There are essential differences between economic integration organizations and international political and military groups. Some countries voluntarily participate in political and military organizations, while others are passive, unwilling or even completely intimidated. This objectively determines the instability of political and military groups, and all members change their positions to unite the universality of Lian Heng. So far, all regional economic integration organizations in the world are not only stable, but also tend to expand their membership and deepen the integration process.
? Regional economic integration has greatly promoted and guaranteed the economic development and social stability of member countries. But it has a negative impact on the development of countries outside the region. There are trade and investment preferences among countries in regional economic integration organizations, while countries outside the region are discriminated against. Without external discrimination, there will be no domestic preference. But as far as the whole historical process of human society is concerned, the role of regional economic integration organizations is undoubtedly positive and progressive. Regional economy and economic integration organization are the inevitable product of the development of human social productivity to the present level. At present, taking a single country as the economic unit is too small, but taking the whole world as the unit is still too big, and it is appropriate to take only the groups composed of neighboring countries as the unit. Only through the full preparation and transition of regional economic integration can mankind finally realize economic globalization. To realize economic globalization, it is necessary to weaken or even cancel the economic boundaries of various countries, and it is impossible to use 100 currencies of more than one country at the same time. One of the effects and consequences of regional economic integration is to weaken and cancel the economic boundaries between countries and reduce the types of goods and currencies in the world. This is a fact that has been proved by the European Union.
? Regional economic integration is an effective tool to ensure and promote the economic stability and development of member countries, and it is also a magic weapon to eliminate wars among member countries and achieve lasting peace. In the history of mankind, wars are most likely to occur between neighboring countries. Among the 36 military strategies in ancient China, there was even a strategy of "attacking far and defending near". How many countries have lived side by side for thousands of years and never had a war? Nobody counted them. Saying that no one will be arbitrary, but saying that there are only a few hundred should be no problem. The specific reasons for the war between neighboring countries will vary widely, but there is only one fundamental reason, that is, they are all fighting for or protecting living space. With the implementation of regional economic integration, the living space of originally independent countries will be merged into a unified living space shared by all countries, and the possibility of war between them will be fundamentally eliminated. Western Europe is the most frequent and cruel region in the history of the world. In the hundreds of years before the Second World War, there was almost no war in western Europe for 10 years, and small battles occurred every year. However, since the implementation of regional economic integration, there has been no war between member States. Today, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and other EU member countries, who used to beat each other to death many times and even swallowed each other several times, easily turned into friendship. Nowadays, France, Germany, Italy and other EU countries live in harmony and win-win cooperation, which has reached or almost reached the point where national borders have become useless.
? The fact that regional economic integration has brought and is bringing great benefits to its member countries is increasingly recognized by people all over the world. More and more people in the world have realized the great role of regional economic integration, which will certainly expand the scope and promote the process of regional economic integration. The vigorous development trend of regional economic integration is doomed.