This pioneering study shows that economic integration in the Americas is not simply a matter of removing trade barriers. Economic Integration in the Americas addresses the pervasive effects of economic integration on the economy as a whole.

After examining elements of financial integration and capital mobility in North America, the authors address in turn the effects of the North American Free Trade Association on Mexico, comparisons between NAFTA and the European Union, the impact of NAFTA on issues such as social protection, migration and Canadian agricultural policy, and finally, regionalism and multilateralism in the Western hemisphere.

While drawing on the experience of European integration, the authors recognize that new, broader analyses are required in the Western hemisphere to allow for the ranges of country size, natural resource endowments and per capita incomes. Sensitive to the political interest involved in economic integration between unequal partners, Economic Integration in the Americas offers students, researchers and policy-makers a better understanding of policy at both national and supranational levels.