1st Edition

The New Political Economy of United States-Caribbean Relations The Apparel Industry and the Politics of NAFTA Parity

By Tony Heron Copyright 2004

    This informative book brings a fresh perspective to the continuing debate about globalization and regionalization in the global political economy and the ways in which state policy, in both developed and developing countries, shapes the patterns of economic integration and competitiveness among participating countries and firms. Focusing on the United States and the Caribbean, the book traces the advent and subsequent growth of production sharing between outsourcing textile, apparel firms and assembly operations located in specially designated export processing zones. This case study allows a number of broad conclusions to be reached regarding the political economy of production sharing that will inform the work of those in the fields of international and comparative political economy, development studies and business and management.

    Contents: Introduction; Theories of international political economy; United States - Caribbean economic relations since 1945; The Caribbean offshore development model; The restructuring of the United States textile and apparel industry; The North American apparel commodity chain; The politics of NAFTA parity; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

    Biography

    Dr Tony Heron is a Lecturer in International Political Economy in the Department of Politics at the University of Sheffield, UK.

    'An important and highly stimulating contribution to our understanding of contemporary US - Caribbean relations, and without doubt the best analysis of the North American textiles industry currently available. Tony Heron’s book offers impressively rich, engaging and rewarding reading for all those seeking to understand the political economy of a highly complex region and a pivotal sector within it.' Dr Nicola Phillips, University of Manchester, UK