Integration of the "Americas" in the 21st Century
Abstract
Through a program of comprehensive research and detailed analysis, the paper presents current and proposed steps for the Integration of the Americas in the 21st Century within the time frame agreed to by all of the participants in the last Summit of the Americas held in Santiago, Chile in 1998. Based on the two most successful existing trade agreements in the Western Hemisphere, NAFTA and MERCOSUR, the discussion will attempt to document the theories, foreign policies, problems and facts which eventually resulted in a successful integration process. It will effectively define the meaning of the word 'regionalism' in a comprehensive manner which will also include the definition and understanding of that term by the two most important partners in those regional trade agreements, the United States of America and the Federative Republic of Brazil. Also, the regionalism concepts of both the U.S. and Brazil will be shown as actual options for hemispheric integration. Further, the NAFTA and MERCOSUR models will be analyzed and the current differences between the two will be detailed to enable a better understanding of the integration process. Following a discussion of the current and potential problems in the concept of a 'Free Trade Area of the Americas' as foreseen by both the United States and Brazil, the paper will conclude with what is considered to be the most feasible recommended steps needed to be taken in a pragmatic and modem approach to enable the construction of a strong and sustainable process to integrate the Continent.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 06, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA390544
Entities
People
- Milton Guimaraes
Organizations
- United States Army War College