Heartland's sister company in Canada buys sugar at international prices, and conjures up a molasses stew specifically designed to avoid America's customs tariffs.

ECONOMIST: Sugar solution

They met often eight times in less than a year to draw up agreements on everything from the abolition of customs tariffs to the cementing of links between the two armies' top brass.

ECONOMIST: Turks and Bulgars make up

Harmonising customs and tariffs between the two has been tricky.

ECONOMIST: Montenegro

The agreement is designed to boost trade between the two blocs by removing various tariffs and customs barriers.

BBC: MEPs back Latin American trade agreement

NAFTA's complex rules of origin, moving instead towards a customs union with common tariffs on goods from other countries (to be set at the lowest level of any of the three).

ECONOMIST: North America

With simplified customs and exemptions from certain tariffs we'll encourage more businesses to engage in more trade.

WHITEHOUSE: President Obama Holds a Press Conference at the APEC Summit

The new restrictions range from higher tariffs to costly import licences and customs controls.

ECONOMIST: Trade

Now, the association's leaders have identified 11 sectors, including electronics, tourism, health care and air travel, in which they hope to remove tariffs, harmonise standards, and expedite customs clearance.

ECONOMIST: Noodle soup

On the import side, Argentina cannot raise tariffs on its own because it belongs to the Mercosur customs union.

ECONOMIST: Protectionism in Argentina

The customs union might survive, and develop further, if Brazil were to accept its partners' desire for lower external tariffs all round, especially on capital goods.

ECONOMIST: Another blow to Mercosur