In addition, a number of specific economic features of the euro area strengthen the case for intra-area exchange rate stability and, ultimately, monetary union. First of all, most of the trade carried out by individual euro area countries takes place with other euro area countries.
All these countries present a rather homogeneous commodity composition of production and trade, unlike the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA), where Mexico and Canada are relatively heavily dependent on the production and export of primary commodities.