Abstract:
The Pacific Alliance is a process of deep integration among Colombia, Chile, Peru and Mexico, which aims to build a free trade area and to project into the Asia-Pacific region, in order to enhance existing trade agreements among the members. There is no deep trade relationships among these four countries, despite having regional agreements since the 1990s, as demonstrated by the low volume of reciprocal exports and imports, in addition to the low indicator of intra-industrial trade. In this paper, intra-regional trade index is calculated among the countries of the Pacific Alliance, evidencing low indicators, but with a growth, encouraged by reciprocal or unilateral policies of commercial openness, and by an environment favoring economic growth throughout the region.

Resumen:
La Alianza del Pacífico es un proceso de integración profundo conformado por Colombia, Chile, Perú y México, que pretende construir un área de libre comercio y proyectarse hacia la región de Asia-Pacífico, con el fin de potenciar acuerdos comerciales preexistentes entre sus miembros. Entre estos cuatro países existe una relación comercial no tan profunda, a pesar de contar con acuerdos regionales desde la década de los noventa, lo que se demuestra por los bajos volúmenes de exportaciones e importaciones recíprocos, además del bajo indicador del comercio intraindustrial.
En este trabajo se calcula el índice de comercio intrarregional entre los países de la Alianza del Pacífico y se muestran indicadores bajos, pero con un crecimiento, fomentados por las políticas de apertura comercial, recíprocas o unilaterales, y por un entorno de crecimiento económico favorable para toda la región.

Author: José Armando Hernández Bernal and Luis Guillermo Muñoz Angulo
Spanish Title: Comercio y evolución de la Alianza del Pacífico
Full document: 2015, Hernández & Munoz, Comercio y Evolucion de la Alianza del Pacifico

Abstract:
This report is a preliminary stocktaking exercise, which underscores the significant opportunities that further intra-regional integration and support for SME internationalisation could bring to the economies of the four countries concerned. Representing close to 99% of businesses and 67% of employment, a comprehensive joint strategy in support of SME competitiveness and internationalisation could result in significant gains in terms of both productivity and inclusive growth.

• Section 1 provides a general context of SMEs and the existing trade structure in the PA, and of challenges and opportunities that SMEs face when engaging in international activities.
• Section 2 takes stock of PA countries’ current policy efforts and initiatives carried out to promote SME development and internationalisation; provides elements for the PA to consider in advancing their joint agenda, grouped in the policy domains of finance, business environment, firm capabilities, market
  access and trade.

Overall, the building of a regional market through the PA’s programme of trade and investment liberalisation, as well as the fragmentation of production into global value chains (GVCs), opens new opportunities for SMEs. However, trade and investment liberalisation alone will not be sufficient to secure a higher level of SME internationalisation. The PA economies, particularly Chile, Colombia and Peru, are currently concentrated on a few resource-oriented sectors where SMEs play a marginal role. The PA will need policies to promote economic diversification and support entrepreneurship and enterprise development to build productive capacities and develop new comparative advantages in the manufacturing and service sectors in order to broaden and deepen trade flows and enable a more active role for SMEs.

Resumen:
No disponible

Institutional Author: OECD
Full document: 2015, OECD, How to Foster the Internationalisation of SMEs through the Pacific Alliance Integration Process

Abstract:
The Pacific Alliance is a rough example of the model of South-South strategic regionalism evolved, arising in Latin America at the end of the first decade of the century. It is characterised, as most integration initiatives in the region, for unimportant and low intensity intra-regional trade. This result is due to low trade complementarity between the economies that encompass the Pacific Alliance. In response, this paper aims to make clear that the implementation of ambitious trade liberalisation will not be enough to boost intra-regional trade in the Alliance, it will require further implement policies for economic diversification aimed at raising the quality of the export basket of each member country.

Resumen:
La Alianza del Pacífico, una manifestación aproximada del modelo de regionalismo estratégico Sur-Sur evolucionado, que surge en América Latina a finales de la primera década del siglo XXI, está caracterizada, como la mayoría de las iniciativas de integración en la región, por un comercio intrarregional poco importante y poco intenso. Lo cual es consecuencia de la baja complementariedad comercial entre las economías que le conforman. Ante ello, el presente trabajo pretende dejar en evidencia que la ejecución de un programa de liberalización comercial ambicioso no será suficiente para impulsar el comercio intrarregional en la Alianza, pues hará falta además, ejecutar políticas de diversificación económica dirigidas a elevar la calidad de la canasta de exportación de cada país miembro.

Author: Albio Márquez Rangel
Spanish Title:Desafíos a enfrentar por el comercio intrarregional en la Alianza del Pacífico
Full document: 2015, Rangel, Desafíos a Enfrentar por el Comercio Intrarregional en la Alianza del Pacífico

Abstract:
This paper explores the new Latin American association experience known as Pacific Alliance and describes some elements of comparison with the most developed and consolidated experience of the European Union. After illustrating briefly the history and regulation of the Pacific Alliance, it puts in evidence some similarities between these two organizations, such as: i) the reduced number of States; ii) the common political will of Member States; iii) the economic model developed in the internal as well as in the external relations; iv) a step-by-step realization of objectives with different times and means; v) common external relations. It also underlines some differences, namely: i) the relevance of the political element; ii) the legal nature of the organization, which is that of a multilateral agreement for the Pacific Alliance; iii) different legal means to realize statutory objectives.
Finally a great significance has the different approach in external relations as well as the provision of a classic system of dispute settlement within the Pacific Alliance which is in contrast with the well-known judicial system operanting within the European Union.

Resumen:
La contribución analiza la nueva asociación de la Alianza del Pacífico realizada en América Latina e ilustra algunos elementos de comparaciones con la más desarrollada y consolidada experiencia de la Unión Europea. Tras presentar de manera sintética la historia y la disciplina actual de la Alianza del Pacífico, el ensayo indica los elementos de similitudes entre las dos experiencias: i) el reducido número de estados; ii) la voluntad política compartida por los estados miembros; iii) el modelo económico similar tanto en las relaciones internas como en aquellas internacionales; iv) el proceder de manera paulatina para la realización de los objetivos con tiempos y herramientas diferentes; v) las relaciones exteriores comunes. Entre las diferencias se señalan: i) el valor del componente político; ii) la naturaleza jurídica, que para la Alianza del Pacífico es aquella de un acuerdo multilateral; iii) los diferentes instrumentos jurídicos para realizar los objetivos. Finalmente el estudio señala el diferente enfoque en las relaciones exteriores y la previsión de un sistema de soluciones de las controversias, que es clásico para la Alianza del Pacífico, en contraste con el notorio sistema jurisdiccional comunitario europeo.

Author: Piero Pennetta
Italian Title: Ancora un’esperienza associativa in America Latina: I´Alleanza del Pacífico. Considerazioni compárate con I´Unione europea
Full document: 2015, Penetta, Ancora Un Esperienza Associativa in America Latina- I Alleanza Del Pacífico- Considerazioni Compárate Con I Unione Europea

Abstract:
Convergence and confrontation are two different strategic options that have been evoked with respect to the relation between Mercosur and the Pacific Alliance. Choosing one or the other transcends the level of the economic and the commercial and deeply affects the political. Their impact is closely related with regional governance and the achievement of a climate of harmony functional to democracy and to the economic and social development of member countries.
The idea of convergence in diversity has been proposed as central to the development of a strategy for joint work among the member countries of both integration processes. The different agreements and measures eventually adopted by member countries of both schemes could contribute to the goal of achieving a reasonable degree of regional governance. Showing that this is possible might be a worthy goal to nourish the agenda of cooperation between all Latin American countries. Its effects would then transcend the regional scope.

Resumen:
No disponible

Author: Felix Peña
Full document: 2015, Peña Regional integration in Latin America- the Strategy of “Convergence in Diversity” and the Relations between Mercosur and the Pacific Alliance

Abstract:
The Pacific Alliance was established as a project of deep integration between Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru. The question raised in this paper is which of the Latin American regionalism approaches is better suited for the theoretical characterisation of the Pacific Alliance initiative? The concepts of open regionalism and strategic regionalism are explained for the characterisation of this initiative, and their limits are highlighted by empirical evidence. The paper concludes that regionalism concepts that give greater emphasis to commercial dynamics are not sufficient to understand the current operation and performance of the Pacific Alliance. As such, a complementary analytical approach is introduced responding to the long-term global dynamics.

Resumen:
La Alianza del Pacífico se instituyó como una propuesta de integración profunda entre Chile, Colombia, México y Perú. La pregunta que se plantea en este trabajo es ¿cuál de los enfoques del regionalismo en América Latina es el más idóneo para caracterizar teóricamente la iniciativa de la Alianza del Pacífico? En este sentido, se exponen los conceptos de regionalismo abierto y regionalismo estratégico para caracterizar esta iniciativa, y se resaltan sus límites a partir de evidencia empírica. El trabajo concluye que los conceptos de regionalismo que dan mayor énfasis a las dinámicas comerciales no son suficientes para comprender el funcionamiento y desempeño actual de la Alianza del Pacífico, por lo que se introduce un enfoque analítico complementario, el cual responde a dinámicas globales de largo plazo.

Authors: Daniel Rojas and José Miguel Terán
Spanish Title: La Alianza del Pacífico: Nueva Muestra del Regionalismo en América Latina
Full document: 2016, Rojas & Terán, La Alianza del Pacífico- Nueva Muestra del Regionalismo en América Latina

Abstract:
This paper analyzes the main features of Chilean trade and investment treaties, examining if there is a Chilean pattern in the regulation of trade and investment flows or if it is influenced by agreements signed by Chile with developed countries. The article also examines if there are differences between the treaties signed by Chile and other “Southern” developing countries and those negotiated with “Northern” developed economies, and if sustainable development concerns are part of the negotiations of trade and investment agreements by Chile.

Resumen:
No disponible

Author: Rodrigo Polanco
Full document: 2015, Polanco, Chilean Trade and Investment Agreements with Southern Countries- From Bilateral Treaties to the Pacific Alliance