Final answer:
Licensing agreements, distribution agreements, and supply contracts are considered strategic alliances.
Step-by-step explanation:
Licensing agreements, distribution agreements, and supply contracts are examples of strategic alliances. These arrangements are typically between companies that aim to achieve a certain strategy or goal that can benefit both parties involved.
Strategic alliances can take different forms. For instance, a venture is a more formal collaboration where two or more parties establish a joint enterprise, often creating a separate business entity. However, not all strategic alliances involve equity or joint ventures. Nonequity strategic alliances involve contracts and agreements without equity stakes, such as licensing, distribution, and supply agreements that still create a strategic partnership but without the formation of a separate entity.
Regarding the flood of regional trading agreements, the presence of these agreements highlights the importance of strategic alliances on an international scale. Trade deals such as the USMCA/NAFTA, the EU, and TPP are examples of countries forging alliances to facilitate trade, reduce tariffs, and set economic goals. These alliances have often been described as a "spaghetti bowl" due to the complex network of connections they create.