Pacific Alliance: Trade implications on member countries and other regional trade agreements

The Pacific Alliance, born as an alternative to “postliberal regionalism,” aimed at reinforcing the liberalization and openness strategies as well as the North–South agreements previously subscribed by its members. It sought to enhance intraregional trade, promote value chains, and reach out to the Asia-Pacific region. Ten years after the creation of the Pacific Alliance, it is relevant to assess its effect on trade flows among its members and with other regional trade agreements like the Andean Community and the Southern Common Market. We use an augmented gravity model and the panel data methodology to provide evidence that the Pacific Alliance has not affected trade flows significantly among its members or with other South American regional trade agreements.