one , FTA in full swing

一、FTA進展如火如荼

In recent years , economic globalization and regional economic integration has become an important trend in the world economy . Regionalization and globalization promote each other, complement each other as well as the development stage alternately , highlighting the necessity of the development of social productivity requirements and the development of the contemporary world economy and trade essential characteristics .
近年來，經濟全世界化與地區范圍經濟一體化已變成世界經濟進展的關緊發展方向。地區范圍化和全世界化的互相增進，互為補給乃至于階段性的交替進展，凸顯了社會形態勞動力進展的定然要求及當代世界經濟商業活動進展的實質性特點標志。

On the one hand , trade liberalization , internationalization of production and economic integration continues to break national and geographical constraints , economic ties between the countries and the region 's growing conditions, WTO establishment and operation , coordinating and regulating international trade development order, promote economic globalization has entered a new stage of development.
一方面，在商業活動自由化、出產國際化和經濟一體化不斷打破國度和地域限止，各國及各地區之間經濟結合一天比一天加強的條件下，世界商業活動團體的樹立和運作，協調和規范了國際商業活動進展的秩序，推動經濟全世界化進入一個新的進展階段。

On the other hand , since the multilateral trading system there are some limitations on the bilateral and regional levels of trade liberalization efforts are still very active, thereby promoting regional economic integration .

Since the late 1990s , the world's re-emergence of regional trading blocs boom, free trade agreements (FTA) and the preferential trade arrangements in large numbers. According to incomplete statistics , at present there are around 240 regional trade agreements , 135 FTA , involving 97% of the members of the WTO , bilateral FTA in which about 90 % or so. FTA is booming, show through regional economic cooperation to advance a country or a region's economic growth in trade has become an important trend in the development of international trade . The emergence of this trend , the following main reasons:

First, because since the Uruguay Round multilateral trade system since the end of inaction , especially want to start a new round of WTO trade negotiations, frustrated, looking forward to further multilateral trade liberalization from the economic and trade interests has become the ideal slim , WTO members would have turned bilateral or regional economic cooperation.

Second, with the development of economic globalization , WTO members increased dramatically in recent years , by the level of economic development of each member of the differences and the different interests and demands of the constraints in the multilateral trading system to further promote cooperation in the multilateral level constantly encounter obstacles. Such as coordination and negotiation of tariff measures range from the past , such as open market access , turning to a variety of non-tariff measures such as technical standards , environmental requirements. As easy to reconcile the multilateral trading system , it is difficult to reach a consensus , so we hope WTO members from regional or sub- regional economic cooperation to seek opportunities to benefit . Additionally, a number of countries within the region ( or regions ) are relatively close economic ties , easy to form a more reasonable collaboration system, trade liberalization is relatively small and easy to advance regional economic cooperation tension, showing rapid development momentum.

Again, in the development of modern science and technology , driven by the rapid development of productive forces and the interests of drivers , particularly those affected by vested interests within the existing regional trade blocs limitations , some of the group to start a new adjustments, such as to absorb new members , or with other groups combined into a larger trade group , or member of the group and then with the other countries and regions outside the Group a new combination to expand space for development, obtain greater benefits .

With the rapid development of the FTA , the world's three major regional blocs have emerged . EU gradually expanded from six countries in Western Europe to the current fifteen countries , to be held before 2010 and some countries in North Africa and Central Asia economic portfolio ; establishment of NAFTA , which shows the United States as the core of the Americas from north to south formation of economic integration ; Asian countries and regions by the formation of APEC , and promote the developed members and developing members of the development of trade and investment liberalization . Currently 10 +1 have reached an agreement , to be established within 10 years the UK - ASEAN Free Trade Area . 10 +3 ( ASEAN and China , Japan and Korea ) and the UK Mainland and Hong Kong " Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement " consultations and negotiations start , all show the development of the Asian regional economic integration potential.

From a practical point of view , FTA establishment and development of regional and indeed global economy had a major impact .

1. FTA promotes regional economic and trade growth .
Free Trade Area of ??the gradual elimination of internal trade barriers and promote the free movement of factors of production , resource allocation and utilization has become more reasonable , to further improve economies of scale . It is estimated that the EU achieve the goods , services, capital and talent flow freely , you can benefit from the process of cancellation barriers $ 300 billion , GDP growth of 5% , 20% reduction in public spending , industrial costs fell 7% , an increase of 200 - 3,000,000 jobs. NAFTA also run three benefits: Mexican exports the highest annual growth rate of 20% , 10% in Canada , the United States is 5%.

2 affect the world commodities, capital, technology and talent flow .
In developed countries, mainly to establish the FTA , since the invention of national science and technology and major users are concentrated in developed countries, its science and technology absorptive capacity is huge , so will inevitably result in the flow of capital and technology first developed , followed by the development of the region is the British national , the real development of English outside the flow of the country even less. In recent years , in order to share the benefits of FTA , FTA outside the country are actively seeking their cooperation , so that there is mutual investment between the FTA , particularly in order to bypass the FTA trade barriers , direct investment in countries outside the region has become the most common mode of entry .

3. FTA exclusivity inherent in the development of the world economy had some adverse effects .
Since FTA is open internal market , mutual concessions, and areas outside the countries and regions do not enjoy such benefits, resulting in decline in the competitiveness of foreign products , the formation of " trade diversion effect ." Such as NAFTA run to make Mexican products on the U.S. output increased significantly in Asia electronic products and textiles exports to the U.S. suffered a huge impact . Now Mexico has replaced Britain as the textile exports to the U.S. superpower.

Two , FDl become an international trade development accelerator

In recent years, multinational companies investing activities on the world economic and trade development has played a pivotal role. With the accelerated pace of economic globalization , governments compete to adopt preferential policies to attract foreign investment , a substantial reduction in trade and investment barriers , so that multinational companies worldwide allocation of resources , the expansion of operations to obtain a favorable environment space .

According to the " 2000 World Investment Report " statistics, currently there are around 50,000 multinationals , whose more than 30 ten thousand overseas branches , total cross-border direct investment totaled about $ 4 trillion , of which 30 % are from the world's largest of 100 multinational companies controlled by these investments created merchandise sales , even more than the world 's total exports . 2000 sales of multinational companies and overseas branches and $ 6.5 trillion ( 30% of which is intra-company transactions ) , figures show that multinational investment led the rapid growth of the international economy and trade . Large multinational penetration in all regions , transnational production, management and sales, not only increased the amount of the host country 's foreign trade , and its division of labor within the company pioneered characterized by integrated international production system, so that the parent company among the branches sharp increase in internal trade , the growth in international trade become an important component . Since intra-firm trade can greatly reduce the " transaction costs ", so , multinational production, sales increasingly internally . According to statistics, in the 1970s trade within multinational companies accounted for 20% of world trade and 80 - 90 years this proportion rose to 40% , the current total world trade , 70 - 80% related to transnational corporations . Should be noted that , WTO " Trade-Related Investment Measures Agreement " requires members informed of its laws and regulations related to this limit exists , and asked the members in accordance with the established timetable is canceled within seven years up to these requirements . Visible, the multinational development of international trade on the world market continue to strengthen the competitive position , but also for the development of multinational companies to provide more opportunities and institutional guarantees .

Third, the e-commerce revolution triggered a means of trading
With the Internet and the rapid development of information technology , to meet the rapid expansion of international trade needs arising from the latter half of the nineties by the advent of e-commerce , it is an irreversible momentum built up world trade platform for fast running . Especially in the United States , European Union, Japan and other major developed countries, the energetic efforts , e-commerce has become the century's most promising areas.

As we all know , 90 years ago the global electronics market turnover is almost negligible , but in 1997 and quickly reached about $ 30 billion in 2000 to $ 250 billion . Experts estimate that in the twenty- first century, 10 years before the completion of the transaction volume e-commerce market will double every two years pace. By 2010, the size of the transaction at about $ 10 trillion or so in the pattern of global trade will account for 1/ 3 of GDP. By then , the EU's online export transactions could reach $ 4 trillion , the U.S. could 2000000000000 , 1000000000000 Japan , the Asia-Pacific region about $ 1.5 trillion .

Conducting electronic transactions at the same time , countries or regions within the field of international trade has traditionally ongoing global institutionalized practice , synchronous applied to the construction of e-commerce platform . Of course, since e-commerce platform to run their own high-tech features, its rule-making is not a bird's-eye view in respect of , but people strive for success is quite obvious . Such as the United Nations International Trade Commission through the " Model Law on Electronic Commerce adopted by the WTO Ministerial Conference of the" Declaration on the global e-commerce e-commerce in OECD ministerial meeting and e-commerce global dialogue to form the " Paris Initiative" are internationally the construction of e-commerce within the rules gratifying results .

In addition, the U.S. " global e-commerce policy framework " , the EU's " European e-commerce written proposal to the British" E-commerce - British tax policy guidelines " , the Asian countries of Singapore ," e-commerce comparative framework ", etc., are from the national abilities and interests of the individual to complete legislation , although not the system , but the solution to the current e-commerce development of the outstanding obstacles still have a positive effect .

An overview of these two aspects of e-commerce development , while not the whole picture , but have clearly explained , e-commerce trading platform providing the impact on international trade is enormous :

First, the e-commerce operations and compliance with its fast way impact the existing transactions, so traders in the traditional negotiations between the chamber and the Internet to make a choice .

Secondly , a considerable number and proportion of freshman business from the initial to the end are running on your network , the basic and traditional market does not matter.

Thirdly, both an online trading platform , but also a market , database development , domain name registration and e- market itself is also engaged in development of the fierce battle .

The above activities can be seen that e-commerce will lead to yet another reshuffle of global trade . On the development trends, the impact of e-commerce is not only the traditional trade, will also replace the traditional business activities. Meanwhile , e-commerce with its own advantages , making cross-border transfer information and resource sharing can be achieved , so that the economic ties between countries , trade links greatly enhance and promote the further development of economic globalization .

In short, the current international trade emerging trends in economic globalization is both a product or a periodic phenomenon , but also a process of economic globalization continue to the foundation and conditions . Each trend is propelled with great force in the development of the global economy , while the trends and interactions are intertwined and affect each other.