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WHAT IS A TRADE BLOC? • A trade bloc is a large free trade area formed by one or more tax, tariff and trade agreements. Typically trade pacts that define such a bloc specify formal adjudication bodies, e.g. NAFTA trade panels. This may include even a more democratic and participative system, as the EU.
HOW DOES IT WORK - TARIFFS • A tariff is a tax on foreign goods upon importation. When a ship arrives in port a customs officer inspects the contents and charges a tax according to the tariff formula
HOW DOES IT WORK - QUOTAS • An import quota is a type of protectionist trade restriction that sets a physical limit on the quantity of a good that can be imported into a country in a given period of time. For example, a country might limit sugar imports to 50 tons per year. Quotas, like other trade restrictions, are used to benefit the producers of a good in a domestic economy at the expense of all consumers of the good in that economy.
TASK • USING THE TABLE PLOT A MAP TO SHOW THE MEMBERSHIP OF THESE MAIN TRADING BLOCS. • WHAT DO YOU NOTICE ABOUT YOUR MAP?
HOMEWORK • COMPILE AN A4 SUMMARY OF THE BANANA WARS – AN EXAMPLE OF TRADE BLOCS IMPACT. • The Banana Trade - who grows the most, who exports the most, who imports the most? • What were the Banana Wars? Why did the USA get so upset? • What role did the WTO (World Trade Organisation) play in the 'wars'? • What were the impacts of the Banana Wars on the UK and France? • What part did 'Trade Tariffs' and 'Trade Subsidies' play in the Banana Wars? • What is the Lome Convention and what part did it play in the Banana Wars?