effect on 1 January 1995.Its main goal is to create a customs union between the four countries by2006.南方共同市场 12.NAFTA:North American Free Trade Agreement.A 1994 agreement reached by the United States,Canada,and Mexico that instituted a schedule for the phasing out of tariffs and eliminated a variety of fees and other hindrances to encourage free trade between the three North American countries..北美自由贸易协定 13.Free Trade Area of the Americas(FTAA):The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)is the expansion of the North American Free Trade Agreement(NAFTA), aiming to eliminate the remaining barriers to the free flow of money,goods and services across borders in the Western hemisphere (excluding Cuba),to create one huge integrated open market..美洲自由贸易区 Answer to the comprehension questions: 1.What is international trade? International trade is the exchange of goods and services across international borders. 2.How was international trade traditionally regulated and how is it now regulated? Traditionally international trade was regulated through bilateral treaties between two nations.The regulation of international trade is done through the World Trade Organization at the global level,and through several other regional arrangements such as MERCOSUR in South America,NAFTA between the United States, Canada and Mexico,and the European Union between twenty-five independent states. 3.What is agricultural interests'attitude toward free trade? Traditionally agricultural interests are usually in flavor of free trade.This has changed somewhat in recent years,however.In fact,agricultural lobbies, particularly in the United States,Europe and Japan,are chiefly responsible for particular rules in the major international trade treaties which allow for more protectionist measures in agriculture than for most other goods and services. 4.When is there often strong domestic pressure to increase tariffs? During recessions there is often strong domestic pressure to increase tariffs to protect domestic industries. Translation of background reading 什么是国际贸易？ 国际贸易是跨国界的货物和服务交换。在大多数国家，它占国内生产总值的 很大份额。虽然国际贸易的存在已有相当长的历史，而其经济、社会和政治重要 性却在近几个世纪尤为提升，主要驱动力为工业化、尖端运输、全球化、跨国公 司和外包。事实上，“全球化”这个术语的含义通常指的就是国际贸易的日益盛 行。 传统意义上的国际贸易是通过两个国家的双边协定来规范的。重商主义思想 2effect on 1 January 1995. Its main goal is to create a customs union between the four countries by 2006. 南方共同市场 12. NAFTA: North American Free Trade Agreement. A 1994 agreement reached by the United States, Canada, and Mexico that instituted a schedule for the phasing out of tariffs and eliminated a variety of fees and other hindrances to encourage free trade between the three North American countries.北美自由贸易协定 13. Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA): The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) is the expansion of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), aiming to eliminate the remaining barriers to the free flow of money, goods and services across borders in the Western hemisphere (excluding Cuba), to create one huge integrated open market. 美洲自由贸易区 Answer to the comprehension questions: 1. What is international trade? International trade is the exchange of goods and services across international borders. 2. How was international trade traditionally regulated and how is it now regulated? Traditionally international trade was regulated through bilateral treaties between two nations. The regulation of international trade is done through the World Trade Organization at the global level, and through several other regional arrangements such as MERCOSUR in South America, NAFTA between the United States, Canada and Mexico, and the European Union between twenty-five independent states. 3. What is agricultural interests’ attitude toward free trade? Traditionally agricultural interests are usually in flavor of free trade. This has changed somewhat in recent years, however. In fact, agricultural lobbies, particularly in the United States, Europe and Japan, are chiefly responsible for particular rules in the major international trade treaties which allow for more protectionist measures in agriculture than for most other goods and services. 4. When is there often strong domestic pressure to increase tariffs? During recessions there is often strong domestic pressure to increase tariffs to protect domestic industries. Translation of background reading 什么是国际贸易？ 国际贸易是跨国界的货物和服务交换。在大多数国家，它占国内生产总值的 很大份额。虽然国际贸易的存在已有相当长的历史，而其经济、社会和政治重要 性却在近几个世纪尤为提升，主要驱动力为工业化、尖端运输、全球化、跨国公 司和外包。事实上，“全球化”这个术语的含义通常指的就是国际贸易的日益盛 行。 传统意义上的国际贸易是通过两个国家的双边协定来规范的。重商主义思想 2