The Path to Customs Union: The European Experience and North American Integration

This paper seeks to explore the possibility for the formation of a customs union between Canada, Mexico and the United States to enhance the economic recovery, increase the region's competitiveness and pave the way for a new chapter in U.S. foreign relations. The analysis is developed through a comparative regional study, which examines the European effort that culminated in the Treaty of Rome in 1957 and the completion of a customs union among the Six founding members in 1968. The purpose is not to replicate the European model, but rather to draw the most important themes and lessons from the European experience to help guide and inform North American integration.