国际商务英语课文电子版lesson 3Word格式文档下载.docx

国际商务英语课文电子版lesson 3Word格式文档下载.docx

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国际商务英语课文电子版lesson3@#@Thepastdecadeswitnessedgrowingimportanceofregionaleconomicintegration.Tobetterenjoythebenefitoftreeflowofgoods,services,capital,labourandotherresources,countrieshavesignedvariousagreementstoliberalizetradeamongthemselveswhilepossiblyputtingupbarrierstoeconomicactivitieswithnon-members.@#@Regionaleconomicintegrationfallsunderfourtypesgivenbelowintheorderfromleasttomostintegrative:

@#@@#@Thefirstandloosestformisthefreetradearea.Membersofafreetradearearemovesbarrierstotheflowofgoodsandservicesamongthemselveswhileeachmemberstilladoptsitsownpolicyasregardstotradewithoutsiders（non-members）.Inotherwordsdifferentmembersmayhavedifferenttariffratesorquotarestrictions.Consequently,non-membercountriesmaytakeadvantageofthissituationandtrytoenterthemarketoftheareafromthemembercountrywiththelowestbarrierbeforesellingthegoodstoamemberwithahigherbarrier.ThemostnotablefreetradeareaistheNorthAmericanFreeTradeAgreement（NAFTA）,thelargestfreemarketformedbytheUnitedStates,CanadaandMexicoin1991withover360millionconsumersandatotalGDPofmorethan6trillionUSdollars.@#@ThesecondformistheCustomsUnionthatgoesastepfurtherbyadoptingthesametradepolicyforallthememberstowardcountriesoutsidetheirorganizationinadditiontoabolishing（removing）tradebarriersamongthemselves.Sinceimportsfromothercountriesaresubjecttothesametariffnomatterwhichmembertheyexportto,itisimpossiblefornon-memberstogetintothemarketofthecustomsunioninadetourastheypossiblydointhecaseoftradewithafreetradearea.SuchanexampleisMercosurformedbyArgentina,Brazil,ParaguayandUruguayin1991.@#@Thecommonmarketisfurtherupthescaleofregionaleconomicintegration.Besidesfreemovementofgoodsandservicesandadoptionofcommonexternaltradepolicy,factorsofproductionsuchaslabour,capitalandtechnologyarefreetomoveamongmemberssothattheycanbeutilizedinamoreefficientandproductiveway.Theoverallbenefitenjoyedbyallthemembersasawholeisquiteobvious,butitishardtosayindividualmemberswillalwaysbenefit,stilllesstoexpectthemtoenjoytheadvantageoffactormobility（movement;@#@flow）tothesamedegree.Inthepast,theEuropeanCommunityremainedacommonmarketforsomeyears.@#@Thehighestformofeconomicintegrationiscalledtheeconomicunionwhichischaracterizedbyintegrationofthedomesticpoliciesofitsmembersinrespectofeconomy,financeetc.inadditiontoabsenceoftradebarriers,practiceofcommonexternalpolicyandfreeproductionfactormobility.ThemembersofanEconomicUnionarerequirednotonlytoharmonizetheirtaxation,governmentexpenditure,industrypolicies,etc,butalsousethesamecurrency.WiththeadoptionofthesingleEuropeancurrencyeurobymostmembersoftheEU,wecansayitiswellonitswaytowardstherealizationofaneconomicunion.@#@Itcanbeseenthatthemembercountriesofaneconomicunionarerequiredtosurrendersomeoftheirnationalsovereignty,whichiserodingthetraditionoftheworldpoliticalsystembasedontheautonomyandsupremepowerofsovereignstates.Sopeoplebegintotalkaboutastillhigherformofintegration——thepoliticalunion,membersofwhichwillnotonlybeintegratedeconomically,butalsoharmonizetheirforeignpolicyandnationaldefence.Withthatrealized,thememberswouldmoreorlesscometogetherandformanewpoliticalentity.@#@TheEuropeanUnionissofarthemostprominent（outstanding）exampleofregionaleconomicintegrationintheworld.Itshistorydatesbacktotheearlypost-waryears.Thefirstcommunity,theEuropeanCoalandSteelCommunity（ECSC）wasestablishedin1952,whichsetthestageformoreambitiousintegrationefforts.ThesigningofthemonumentalTreatyofRomein1957markstheestablishmentoftheEuropeanEconomicCommunitywiththeaimofgraduallyrealizingthefreemovementofgoods,services,laborandcapitalaswellastheintegrationofeconomicpoliciesofthemembercountries.Tenyearslaterin1967,theEuropeanCommunitywasformedbymergingEEC,ECSCandtheEuropeanAtomicEnergyCommunity（EURATOM）.1992wasalandmarkyearinthedevelopmentoftheECwhenitbecameatruecommonmarketasenvisagedbytheSingleEuropeanAct.ThenonJanuary1,1994theEuropeanUnion（EU）cameintobeingonthestrengthoftheMaastrichtTreaty.BythenEUhad12membersincludingthesixsignatoriesoftheTreatyofRome.France,Germany,Italy,theBeneluxcountriesandsixothercountriesthatjoinedlater.（Britain,IrelandandDenmarkin1973,Greecein1981,SpainandPortugalin1986）.Themembershipincreasedto15withtheparticipationofAustria,FinlandandSwedenin1995.Fromthebeginningof1999mostofthemembersbegantousethecommonEuropeancurrencyforaccountingandsettlementandin2002,eurobanknotesandcoinswereputintocirculation.@#@TheEuropeanUnionisafull-fledgedentity.ItsexecutivebodyistheEuropeanCommissioncomposedof20commissionersoverseeing（supervise）23departmentsinchargeofdifferentaffairs.Thoughappointedbymembergovernments,thecommissionersareresponsibletotheUnioninsteadoftheirhomecountry.@#@Themostpowerfulinstitution（body）oftheEUistheCouncilofMinisters.Ithasthefinalsayonallimportantmatters.Decisionsofthecouncilaremadebyvotesallocatedtomembercountriesonthebasisoftheirsize.Differentministersattendthecouncilmeetingsdependingonthemattersdiscussed.Thecouncilevenhasthepowertopasslegislation,whichisquitedifferentfromthecaseofallthemajorcountriesoftheworld.@#@TheEuropeanParliament,despitethetitle,isbutanadvisorybodywithlimitedpower.However,itisempoweredtovetoEUmembershipapplicationandtradeagreementswithnon-members.AnditisbelievedtheEuropeanParliamentwillbemorepowerfulinthefuture.@#@ThesuccessfulintegrationofEuropeaneconomieseliminated（remove）thecostofcross-bordertransactions,realizedbettereconomiesofscaleandmadetheEuropeancompaniesmoreefficientthroughmoreintensecompetition.TheEuropeanUnionhasbecomeaneconomicrivaloftheUnitedStates.ItstotalGDPhasexceededthatoftheAmericancountry.Andthoughstillalongwaytogotowardspoliticalunion,theEUmembershavebeguntoharmonizetheirforeignandsecuritypolicies.ItisnoexaggerationtosayEUwillplayanimportantroleinthemulti-polarizationoftheworld.@#@Asia-PacificEconomicCo-operation（APEC）hascaughtmoreandmoreattentionforthepastdecade,especiallyinChinasincethecountryisplayinganactiveroleinit.@#@APECwassetupattheMinisterialMeetingheldintheAustraliancapitalCanberraattendedby12membersofAustralia,theUnitedStates,Canada,Japan,RepublicofKorea,NewZealandandsixASEANcountries.Asputbythe“SeoulDeclaration”passedin1991,itstenetandobjectivesare“inter-dependence,mutualbenefits,adheringtoanopenandmultilateraltradingsystemandreductionofregionaltradebarriers”.In1991,ChinajoinedAPECasasovereignstatewhileChineseTaipeiandHongKongjoineditasterritoryeconomies.NowAPEChasaltogether21membersincludingallthemajorPacificRimcountriesandregions.@#@APEChasafive-layerorganisationalstructure.ThefirstistheInformalMeetingofEconomicleadersheldannually.Chinahostedthe2001meetinginShanghaiandmadeagreatsuccess.ThesecondistheDual-MinisterialMeetingattendedbyforeignministers（excludingChineseTaipeiandHongKong）andministersinchargeofforeigntrade.ThethirdistheMeetingforMinistersresponsibleforTrade.ThefourthistheSeniorOfficialsMeeting（SOM）attendedbyviceministers,departmentaldirectorsorambassadorstoimplement（carryout）decisionsbyeconomicleadersandministerialmeetings.ThefifthlayerreferstothefoursubordinatecommitteesunderSOM,i.e.committeeofTradeandInvestment,EconomicCommittee,EconomicandTechnicalCooperationSub-committeeofSOMandBudgetManagementCommittee.Asitsnamesuggests,APECwasnotexactlyanorganizationbutanofficialforum,thoughtheChinesetranslationusedthatterm.However,ithasbeendevelopingtowardsbeinganorganizationsincetheestablishmentofitssecretariatinSingaporethatservesasanauxiliarybody.APECco-operationconcentratesontradeandinvestmentliberationandfacilitation（TILF）andeconomicandtechnicalcooperation（ECOTECH）thatarecommonlytermedas“thetwowheelsofAPEC”.@#@Besidesregionaleconomicintegration,countriesmayformacommoditycarteltocontroltheproduction,pricingandsaleofparticulargoodssoastoseekhigherandmorestablepricesfortherelevantgoods.ThemostinfluentialcommoditycartelistheOrganizationofPetroleumExportingCountries（OPEC）composedofthirteenmembersestablishedin1960withheadquartersatVienna.Byassigningproductionquotasamongitsmembers,OPECtriedtolimittheoverallcrudeoilsupplyoftheworldforthepurposeofmaintaininghigheroilprices.Despiteinternalcontradictionsandcompetitionfromnon-OPECoilproducingcountries,theinfluenceonoilpricesbyOPECthataccountsfor40%oftheglobaloilproductionissomethingtheworldcannotaffordtoneglect.@#@