Free Trade Agreements as a Political Instrument: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

The use of free trade agreements as a political instrument is an increasingly widespread phenomenon in contemporary international relations. This article analyses three representative cases of this phenomenon in diverse political and geopolitical scenarios, whose common denominator is the use of these agreements to achieve foreign policy objectives. First, it studies the case of the ideological use of Latin American integration processes by the Venezuelan government during the first decade of the 21st century. Second, it examines the situation of the former Soviet republics —particularly Ukraine— in the face of the neoliberalism represented by the European Union and the neo-imperialism represented by the Eurasian Economic Union. Finally, the case of the free trade area between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the Popular Republic of China is addressed, focusing on its role in neutralising disputes in the South China Sea. It also examines the causes that have allowed the proliferation of free trade agreements that undermine the multilateral trading system, as well as their legal and economic basis. The article thus offers some relevant keys to understanding a dynamic of particular significance in the current international order.