A customs union is a free trade area with a common external tariff. The participant countries set up common external trade policy, but in some cases they use different import quotas. Common competition policy is also helpful to avoid competition deficiency.

Purposes for establishing a customs union normally include increasing economic efficiency and establishing closer political and cultural ties between the member countries.

It is the third stage of economic integration.

Customs union is established through trade pact.

List of Customs Unions

Every Common market and Economic and monetary union has also a Customs Union

• Southern African Customs Union
• East African Community
• Gulf Cooperation Council
• MERCOSUR
• Central American Customs Union
• EU customs zone
• EU - Turkey Customs Union (since 1996)
• EU - Andorra Customs Union
• EU - San Marino Customs Union
• Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC)
• West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA)
• Andean Community (CAN)
• Israel - Palestinian territories (since 1994)
• Switzerland - Liechtenstein (since 1924)

Proposed

• Customs Union of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) due in 2007
• Customs Union of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), due in 2008
• Customs Union of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), due in 2010
• Customs Union of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), due in 2011 ?
• Customs Union of the African Economic Community (AEC), due in 2019
• Eurasian Economic Community (EurAsEC)
• Customs Union of the Organization for Democracy and Economic Development (GUAM) http://www.azi.md/news?ID=39356
• Customs Union of the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA)
• Customs Union of the Closer Economic Relations (FTA between Australia and New Zealand)

Defunct

• Customs and Economic Union of Central Africa (UDEAC) - superseded by CEMAC
• Customs Union of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) - proposed successor is EurAsEC
• 1925 French Customs Union over occupied Saarland
• The former Zollverein

See also

• The McGill University Faculty of Law runs a Regional Trade Agreements Database that contains the text of almost all preferential and regional trade agreements in the world. ptas.mcgill.ca

• List of international trade topics

References

• Michael T. Florinsky. 1934. The Saar Struggle. New York: The Macmillan Company.

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