North American Integration in Agriculture: A Survey

The word “integration”, as used in this chapter, is synonymous with the term “market integration.” Market integration is the combination of two formerly separated national or regional markets. The level of integration varies greatly among trade partners, across sectors, and over time. Hence, one can think of a continuum ranging from completely segmented to perfectly integrated area markets. An integrated market consists of two or more economically interdependent but spatially separate markets in which there are no barriers that distort trade and investment activities across borders.