General introduction ; Regional trade arrangements worldwide ; Theory of economic integration / Problems of the quantitative estimation of integration effects / European Union / EU trade and aid policies towards the LDCs and CEECs / European Free Trade Association / North American Free Trade Agreement / Regional integration in Latin America before the debt crisis : LAFTA, CACM and the Andean pact ; Regional integration in Latin America since 1985 : open regionalism and globalisation / Caribbean community and common market / Association of South-East Asian Nations / Integration amongst members of the Arab League / Integration in sub-Saharan Africa / Fortresses and three trading blocs? ; Policy directives, pertinent questions, overall conclusions and prognostications