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The crucial difference between customs unions and free trade areas is their approach to third parties. While a customs union requires all parties to establish and maintain identical external tariffs with regard to trade with non-parties, parties to a free trade area are not subject to this requirement.
A customs union is generally defined as a type of trade bloc which is composed of a free trade area with a common external tariff. [1]Customs unions are established through trade pacts where the participant countries set up common external trade policy (in some cases they use different import quotas).
Free-trade zones are referred to as "foreign-trade zones" in the United States (Foreign Trade Zones Act of 1934), [5] where FTZs provide customs-related advantages as well as exemptions from state and local inventory taxes. In other countries, they have been called "duty-free export processing zones," "export-free zones," "export processing ...
See also: List of special economic zones and List of free-trade zones In special economic zones business and trades laws differ from the rest of the country. The term, and a number of other terms, can have different specific meanings in different countries and publications. Often they have relaxed jurisdiction of customs or related national regulations. They can be ports or other large areas ...
Important distinctions exist between customs unions and free-trade areas. Both types of trading bloc have internal arrangements which parties conclude in order to liberalize and facilitate trade among themselves. The crucial difference between customs unions and free-trade areas is their approach to third parties. While a customs union requires ...
Free-trade zone – Geographic area where economic activity between and within countries is less regulated; Freedom of choice – Political and social concept; Non-tariff barriers to trade – Other types of trade barriers; Offshore outsourcing – Contracting formerly internal tasks to an external organization
The European Union (EU) has always operated as more than a free trade area with its predecessor, the European Economic Community (EEC) being founded as a customs union.The EU has free trade agreements to varying levels with most other European countries.
A multilateral free trade agreement is between several countries all treated equally, and creates a free trade area.Every customs union, common market, economic union, customs and monetary union and economic and monetary union is also a free trade area, and are not included below.