A trade agreement is an agreement between two or more countries to reduce barriers to trade.

A treaty signed by two or more countries to encourage free movement of goods and services across the borders of its members

What are Regional Trading Agreements?

Regional trading agreements refer to a treaty that is signed by two or more countries to encourage the free movement of goods and services across the borders of its members. The agreement comes with internal rules that member countries follow among themselves. When dealing with non-member countries, there are external rules in place that the members adhere to.

A trade agreement is an agreement between two or more countries to reduce barriers to trade.

Quotas, tariffs, and other forms of trade barriers restrict the transport of manufactured goods and services. Regional trading agreements help reduce or remove the barriers to trade.

Types of Regional Trading Agreements

Regional trading agreements vary depending on the level of commitment and the arrangement among the member countries.

1. Preferential Trade Areas

The preferential trading agreement requires the lowest level of commitment to reducing trade barriers, though member countries do not eliminate the barriers among themselves. Also, preferential trade areas do not share common external trade barriers.

2. Free Trade Area

In a free trade agreement, all trade barriers among members are eliminated, which means that they can freely move goods and services among themselves. When it comes to dealing with non-members, the trade policies of each member still take effect.

3. Customs Union

Member countries of a customs union remove trade barriers among themselves and adopt common external trade barriers.

4. Common Market

A common market is a type of trading agreement wherein members remove internal trade barriers, adopt common policies when it comes to dealing with non-members, and allow members to move resources among themselves freely.

5. Economic Union

An economic union is a trading agreement wherein members eliminate trade barriers among themselves, adopt common external barriers, allow free import and export of resources, adopt a set of economic policies, and use one currency.

6. Full Integration

The full integration of member countries is the final level of trading agreements.

Benefits of Regional Trading Agreements

Regional trading agreements offer the following benefits:

1. Boosts Economic Growth

Member countries benefit from trade agreements, particularly in the form of generation of more job opportunities, lower unemployment rates, and market expansions. Also, since trade agreements usually come with investment guarantees, investors who want to invest in developing countries are protected against political risk.

2. Volume of Trade

Businesses in member countries enjoy greater incentives to trade in new markets, thanks to attractive trading conditions due to the policies included in the agreements.

3. Quality and Variety of Goods

Trade agreements open a lot of doors for businesses. As they gain access to new markets, the competition becomes more intense. The increased competition compels businesses to produce higher-quality products. It also leads to more variety for consumers. When there is a wide variety of high-quality products, businesses can improve customer satisfaction.

More Resources

Thank you for reading CFI’s guide to Regional Trading Agreements. To keep advancing your career, the additional CFI resources below will be useful:

  • Free Economics for Capital Markets Course
  • Bilateral Agreement
  • Customs Union
  • Globalization
  • OECD

A free trade agreement (FTA) is a treaty between two or more countries to facilitate trade and eliminate trade barriers. It aims at eliminating tariffs completely from day one or over a certain number of years.

Free trade agreements helps create an open and competitive international marketplace.

Canada has signed a number of FTAs. One of the first was the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994. Some of Canada’s more recent FTAs allow workers to move more freely between Canada and its partner countries, make it easier to invest across borders or better protect intellectual property.

Check out the Canada Tariff Finder, a free tool that allows Canadian exporters to find the tariffs applicable to a specific good in a foreign market.

What is a trade agreement between countries?

A Free trade Agreement (FTA) is an agreement between two or more countries where the countries agree on certain obligations that affect trade in goods and services, and protections for investors and intellectual property rights, among other topics.

Is an agreement among nations to reduce trade barriers?

A free trade agreement is a pact between two or more nations to reduce barriers to imports and exports among them. Under a free trade policy, goods and services can be bought and sold across international borders with little or no government tariffs, quotas, subsidies, or prohibitions to inhibit their exchange.

What is a trade agreement called?

A trade agreement (also known as trade pact) is a wide-ranging taxes, tariff and trade treaty that often includes investment guarantees. It exists when two or more countries agree on terms that help them trade with each other.

What is the purpose of the trade agreement?

A free trade agreement (FTA) is a treaty between two or more countries to facilitate trade and eliminate trade barriers. It aims at eliminating tariffs completely from day one or over a certain number of years. Free trade agreements helps create an open and competitive international marketplace.