Pay a visit to the WTO's website on regionalism. From www.wto.org, follow the link to "Trade Issues" and, from there, to "Regionalism." Spend some time perusing the WTO's materials on this issue.
1. Why should a firm move beyond trading relationships into international production? What is its motivation for doing so?
2. Suppose a firm's competitiveness was based on its proprietary knowledge, per- haps in the form of a patent on a product or process. What can you say about its considerations with regard to foreign market entry?