This text analyses the phenomenon of intra-industry trade as not fully compatible with the traditional interpreting of international trade where comparative advantages decide about directions of exchange (in Ricardo´, Heckscher-Ohlin´ and specific factors´ setting). International trade is usual treated as exchange of different goods produced in different industries (inter-industry trade). Partners in such a trade are countries differing in respect of technology, factor endowment, and/or tasts of consumers. Otherways intra-industry trade is speciality of similar and industrialised countries (which are able to produce manufactured goods).

In the article the author discuses problems of defining intra-industry trade (and also - defining similarity of goods and an industry as an aggregate gathering similar products). She also explains sources of differences between horizontal and vertical intra-industry trade. Further she comments on measures of intra-industry trade (with regard to the critics against all those measures and improvements made in reaction to it). Completing the analysis she describes potential consequences of intra-industry trade for the social welfare. Especially interesting is in this context a comparison of costs and benefits of intra- and inter-industry trade and advises resulting for economic policy).