Catene del valore, accordi regionali e patto transatlantico.

Abstract. Global value chain (GVCs) is the basis of trade agreements in progress, like Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) to be negotiated between the European Union and the United States. It is assumed that this agreements, similarly to others in progress, have the largest impact if it covers as many dimensions of GVCs as possible. This paper explores the coherence of regional production networks with preferential trade memberships, by looking at coordination problem that supply-chain trade poses and by taking TTIP as an example. First, the comparisons of the predicted positive but small estimates of the TTIP-gains from trade are examined. Second, the invoked harmonization of supply chain disciplines is examined, a result that could ensure a new coherence among divergent regulatory regimes. Third, the point on whether or not the harmonized global value chains are inclusive or exclusive is examined, facilitating or marginalizing the upgrading of smaller firms in the chains. This agreement will have a significant impact on European industrial systems. On the positive side, global supply chains magnify the impact of trade barriers and therefore the focus on harmonization can affects trade costs , connectivity and facilities to trade. On the negative side, the likely uneven effects of this agreement on European industrial systems show that industrial and trade policies should care about the participation of small-medium enterprises to new global supply chains. This is because the predictions show that the TTiP represents (i) the strengthening of the concrete platform German manufacturing, in terms of sectoral composition of the expected increase in exports, (ii) the enlargement and the deepening of international value chains governed by large firms (iii) the harmonization and dissemination of regulative standard of great importance mostly for larger companies.