C. The intensity of intraregional trade D. Trade between Latin America and the Caribbean and

In contrast to their export activity, EAEU and LAC countries import almost equal amounts of technology manufactures, and primary and NRBM products, as shown in table II.1. In the Northern LAC region, the large amount of imported technology manufactures forms part of their inter-industry trade with the United States. They import mostly parts and accessories to be assembled and then re-exported, mainly to the United States. Other technology imports are products to satisfy demand from the domestic market and industrial sectors. As part of global value chains, EAEU and South American countries imports also include some parts and accessories to be assembled and then re-exported. However, most of their technology imports go to the domestic industrial sectors, as part of their complementary trade with their top partners. Similarly to LAC, EAEU imports a variety of products, most of them with technology incorporated. The main import products include machinery and mechanical appliances like automatic data-processing machines, machinery for plants or laboratories, appliances for pipes, electrical machinery, such as telephones, electric heaters, panels, monitors and others; vehicular parts and accessories; pharmaceutical products and medical instruments. Technology manufactures accounted for 72% of overall EAEU imports in 2018 while 26% were primary and NRBM goods and the remaining 1% consisted of other transactions. In value terms, the most significant primary and NRBM commodities were mineral fuels like petroleum products, petrol oils and natural gas; food products such as fruits, nuts, meat, vegetables, oil seeds, fish; plastics and paper; and, articles of apparel and clothing accessories. An important part of the primary and NRBM commodities trade occurs intra EAEU States. South America follows almost the same import pattern as EAEU. In 2018, 67% of its imports were technology manufactures like machinery and mechanical appliances, electrical machinery, parts and accessories of vehicles, pharmaceutical products and medical instruments. Another 32% of South American imports were primary and NRBM goods; among the top products were mineral fuels, organic chemicals, fertilizers, paper, pneumatics and cereals. As mentioned above, half of Northern LAC imports consist of primary and NRBM goods while the other half are technology manufactures. From the latter category, they import electrical machinery and equipment (microcircuits, telecommunication equipment, electrical apparatus for making and breaking electrical circuits), machinery and mechanical appliances and vehicles and their parts (motor vehicle parts and accessories of tractors and passenger vehicles, internal combustion piston engines). Among primary and NRBM goods, they import petroleum products, natural gas, aluminium, food products (meat, maize, wheat, fruits and nuts, oil seeds, vegetables), paper and rubber articles.

C. The intensity of intraregional trade

In LAC, four different integration economic processes exist based on the idea of establishing a common market, which is similar to the EAEU process. The oldest is the Central American Common Market (CACM) created in 1960 by Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua that was joined by Panama in 2012. In 1969, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru10 founded the Andean Community (CAN). The third group is CARICOM, established in 1973 by English-speaking parts of the Caribbean. Currently, its full members include all English-speaking Caribbean countries, plus Belize, Guyana, Haiti and Suriname. Finally, in 1991, Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay11 created the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR).

10 In 1973, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela joined the Andean Community, but in 2006 the country announced its withdrawal, reducing the Andean Community to its original four members. 11 The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela joined the Mercosur as a full member in 2006, but it has been suspended since 2016. The Plurinational State of Bolivia is negotiating to become a full member.