Cultural commonality increasingly determines patterns of international trade

Evidence

In Latin America, economic associations —Mercosur, the Andean Pact, the tripartite pact (Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela), the Central American Common Market —take on a new life, reaffirming the point demonstrated most graphically by the European Union that economic integration proceeds faster and further when it is based on cultural commonality. At the same time, the United States and Canada attempt to absorb Mexico into the North American Free Trade Area in a process whose long-term success depends largely on the ability of Mexico to redefine itself culturally from Latin American to North American. — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 339 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

In the past the patterns of trade among nations have followed and paralleled the patterns of alliance among nations. In the emerging world, patterns of trade will be decisively influenced by the patterns of culture. Businessmen make deals with people they can understand and trust; states surrender sovereignty to international associations composed of like-minded states they understand and trust. The roots of economic cooperation are in cultural commonality. — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 367 (#expands, via linked claim)

Countries tend to bandwagon with countries of similar culture and to balance against countries with which they lack cultural commonality. This is particularly true with respect to the core states. Their power attracts those who are culturally similar and repels those who are culturally different. For security reasons core states may attempt to incorporate or to dominate some peoples of other civilizations, who, in turn, attempt to resist or to escape such control (China vs. Tibetans and Uighurs; Russia vs. Tatars, Chechens, Central Asian Muslims). Historical relationships and balance of power considerations also lead some countries to resist the influence of their core state. Both Georgia and Russia are Orthodox countries, but the Georgians historically have resisted Russian domination and close association with Russia. Vietnam and China are both Confucian countries, yet a comparable pattern of historical enmity has existed between them. — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 421 (#complicates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Cultural commonality, not just shared interests, underlies international trade and cooperation. — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 367; Shared cultural identity materially lowered transaction costs in Taiwan-mainland trade — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 466; Shared language and culture lowered transaction costs in Turkish-Central Asian trade — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 397 (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• Economic integration succeeds fastest when partners share a common culture #corroborates (0.93) — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 339
• Cultural commonality, not just shared interests, underlies international trade and cooperation. #expands (0.92) — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 367
• Cultural similarity does not guarantee alignment when historical grievances persist #complicates (0.85) — Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations and the…, 421
• Cultural shift and economic transition align but causal direction stays unclear #complicates (0.72) — David Harvey, The Condition of Postmodernity, 1047