ABSTRACT
This chapter investigates the changing political economy of United States-Caribbean relations via a specific study drawn from the global apparel industry. It reviews the Cox's method of 'historical structures' as an introduction to three key 'new' IPE debates production, development and governance which were elaborated upon subsequently. The chapter focuses on the argument initially put forward by Hettne, but subsequently taken by many others, that there was a need for development theory to take the issue of economic globalization much more seriously and to situate 'development theory' and 'new' IPE within a single analytical framework. It compares the CBTPA with NAFTA; and highlights the ways in which the former is likely to affect the degree of competition within the North American apparel commodity chain. The chapter concludes by way of setting out a number of generalizations, drawn from the process and substantive outcome of the NAFTA parity campaign, regarding the broader political economy of US-Caribbean relations.
