Integrated through Free Trade: A Case Study of the U.S. and Canadian Lobster Industries

This paper is the first in a series of papers focused on the North American industry catching, processing and trading American lobster. In this paper, the authors describe the competitiveness of the U.S. and Canadian industries, emphasizing their similarities, differences, and finally how they complement each other through free trade across a common border. The interconnectivity of the U.S. and Canadian industries, enhanced by their free trade status, creates a unique scenario for both countries to develop competitive advantages. This paper contributes to the literature by analyzing how free trade enables both countries to succeed in this distinctive competitiveness situation.