REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION: THE CANADA-U.S. EXPERIENCE

Abstract

This paper assesses the nature and degree of bilateral economic integration preceding and following the implementation of the Canada- U.S. Free Trade Agreement (CUSTA). Various price-based and quantity- based indicators of economic integration are assessed. Results vary depending upon the indicator; however, on balance, the results provide only modest evidence of incremental integration in the post-CUSTA period. The findings serve as a caution against managers and policymakers assuming that regional integration is an inevitable dynamic and basing strategies and policies around this assumption.economic integration; free trade agreements; trade, foreign direct investment; price convergence.