Abstract
The return of politics to international trade policymaking is a dramatic development in international economic relations. Calls for ensuring that trade policy serves not only domestic economic needs and prosperity but also foreign policy and national security are now widespread, spearheading a wave of growing unilateralism and disenchantment with the underpinnings of economic integration. The interaction of political and economic forces shaping the process of economic regulation and integration at the domestic, regional, and global level has become more sophisticated, requiring a review of existing theories. This chapter identifies structural trends and changes of the political economy of economic integration and discusses the political economy of economic disintegration. It focuses on geography, power, digitalization, and investment and critically revisits theories of economic integration in light of the current political landscape. It also discusses the role of the World Trade Organization, a key player in globalization.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The international law of economic integration |
| Editors | Julien Chaisse, Christoph Herrmann |
| Place of Publication | Oxford |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Chapter | 4 |
| Pages | 46-67 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9780191967825 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9780192871626 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2025 |
Keywords
- political economy
- economic integration
- globalization
- anti-globalization
- preferential trade agreements
- digital trade
