Nations as a whole benefit from trade, however, there are inevitably some losers within countries. While protectionist policies help the targeted industries, the economy as a whole usually loses.
Most countries succumb to the temptation to pick industrial winners and losers.
At best, the track record has been mixed. It illustrates the rationale behind the cooperative venture and the costs to the citizens of each of the nations. Countries which integrate into the world economy have been more succesful than those pursuing import substitution strategies. A reversal of these policies in the 1980's allowed Chili to take advantage of its comparative advantage in the production of wine. In recent years considerable attention has been given to the formation of trading blocs.