In the era of globalization, integration is not just about openness; it is also about the increasingly dense web of connections woven between economies. And measuring globalization means being attentive to the intensity of such relations as well as their structure.This book provides a set of indicators to assess the status and progress of commercial integration which overcome some of the limitations of traditional measurements. Based on the concept of geographic neutrality, this book reveals that although economies have become more and more integrated, their trade relations still evince a significant domestic or regional bias, and that the world economy is still far from being fully integrated.

The authors examine the varying degrees of integration attained by national and regional economies and different economic sectors; the existence of discrete geographical or economic integration patterns; and how localization and distance from markets affect commercial globalization processes.

This study is part of a broader project on economic integration and its measurement undertaken by the BBVA Foundation and the Valencian Economic Research Institute (Ivie), whose results have recently been enlarged by the publication of the INTEGRA database, accessible through the BBVA Foundation website, where researchers can find detailed information on the indicators presented.

The book should find an interested readership among economists, geographers, social and economic network analysts and development specialists, among others, as well as the managers of national and international institutions.