Spatial Expansion Trends of International Economic Integration Systems

Abstract

The research aims to identify patterns and trends in the spatial expansion of international economic integration (IEI) systems in the context of regional and interregional free trade agreements (FTAs), concluding within or between micro-, macro-, and mega-regions. The author applied methods of structural and dynamic analysis of WTO RTA-IS data. To define micro- and macro-regions, the author used the WTO and UNCTAD approaches. To identify mega-regions, the author took geopolitical, pan-ideal, and civilizational criteria. To periodize the development stages of the global IEI system, long waves of differentiation-integration and evolution cycles of the world system are used. To identify IEI centers, the author used the classifications of UNIDO and UNCTAD. The research revealed patterns of the alternation of regional and interregional IEI and an increase in the share and number of FTAs concluded with more distant countries (from micro to macro and then to mega-regions). The research focuses on a quantitative analysis of long-term world patterns and trends of spatial expansion and the design of IEI systems by their leaders, while previous studies are limited to a qualitative analysis of the factors of expansion and a study of expansion cases.