Ameryka Północna i Południowa. Teraźniejszość i przyszłość integracji gospodarczej

The 1990s saw a number of relevant events in the area of international economic integration that are best demonstrated by huge political and economic blocs that appeared in this period. The European Union and The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are one of the biggest and most important of them. With the view to the strategic importance of the cooperation between American states, the author presents how the North American Free Trade Agreement functions and describes the process of founding the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). The first part of the article devoted to the NAFTA looks at the main principles of the Area as well as at trends in trade among its members. In the second part dealing with the FTAA the author presents the main reasons for the commencement of negotiations regarding the foundation of the FTAA and synthetically presents its economic potential.