ABSTRACT
Regionalism has become an important trend within the global system. It is often deployed by smaller states as they seek to counteract the power of larger states within the global system. This chapter explores the trend towards regionalism across the global economy, looking at the trend on a region-by-region basis and noting that in many cases, the strategy is chosen in preference to the fuller global opening of national markets. The chapter examines the various forms of regional integration and also explores what the process means for the development of global businesses operating within and between these major global regions.
