Free Trade vs Protectionism
One of the greatest international economic debates of all time has been the issue of free trade versus protectionism. Proponents of free trade believe in opening the global market, with as few restrictions on trade as possible. Proponents of protectionism believe in concentrating on the welfare of the domestic economy by limiting the open-market policy of the United States. However, what effects does this policy have for the international market and the other respective countries in this market? The question is not as complex as it may seem. Both sides have strong opinions representing their respective viewpoints, and even the population of the United States is divided when it comes to taking a stand in
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One of the biggest examples of international cooperation is the Bretton Woods system that originated from a 1944 conference at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. Those participants in this conference created three organizations to help regulate the international economy. The first is the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which was established with the idea of regulating monetary policy. One of the benchmarks of the IMF is the stabilization of exchange rates and the loaning of money to help stabilize countries with balance of payments deficits. The second organization established was the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) whose main focus was on a liberal trading order. Their mission was to reduce trade barriers on manufactured goods and to build-up the principle of most-favored nation (MFN) status. This would impose a sense of fairness between countries in that each was required to levy the same low tariffs on each others imports. The third and final organization sponsored by Bretton Woods is the World Bank.
The World Bank’s most ambitious aim was the fostering of economic development. This is accomplished through loans to struggling countries. In addition to the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation was annexed to provide loans to corporations who are seen to help aide in poor countries’ development. These three organizations
The international trade sector of the U.S. economy continues to draw attention in economic and political circles. It is true that, the international market has become increasingly important as a source of demand for U.S. production and a source of supply for U.S. consumption. Indeed, it is substantially more important than is implied by the usual measures that relate the size of the international sector to the overall economy. This paper explores the role international trade now plays in the U.S. economy and answers the important questions for economic policy: How does international trade affect economic well-being? Who gains and who loses from free
In the Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith talks about international trade and subsequent government policies which became increasingly significant throughout modern history. Protectionism is the term for economic policies of restraining trade between countries when they want to protect their domestic industries from foreign competition. Trades nowadays have different forms and methods and involve more businessmen as well as consumers, which is why trade diplomats are looking to regional agreements. The US experienced two major economic declines during the 20th century, both of which had much to do with international trade. Smith mentioned tariffs in the 18th century, but the role and forms of protectionism have changed across time, so we should know whether the development of economy should actually be correlated with or decided by the political sector of the society and when protectionism will benefit or hurt economy.
Robert Lansing address how Great Britian would capture ships and inconveniently take them to British ports for inspection (Doc 3). America’s Trade during the War fell, because the British would take the ships in fear that they were war ships attacking them. This led to a decline in Wilson’s Free Trade. The cargo on the ships was used by the time the British ports let the ship free, causing a major disruption in our economy. The report from the American Customs Inspector conveys how the Lusitania was in fact loaded with ammunition (Doc 6).
An important part of managing the economic status of a nation is to manage the methods in which goods and services are imported and exported into and out of the country. Because of differing resources, labor costs, and government support of industry, fiscal policy sometimes includes placing a tariff on imported goods in an attempt to level the economic playing field.
Krugman presents two arguments against free trade based on the new trade theory. The first argument that opposes free trade is strategic trade policy. When a nation employs a strategic trade policy, the nation’s government subsidizes its firm’s production of a particular good in an industry that can only support a few firms because of substantial economies of scale. By supporting its firm in international competition, the nation could potentially shift excess returns from foreign to domestic through an export subsidy. Strategic trade policy asserts that a country can raise its national income at another country’s
It is commonly believed that free trade between nations is a mutually beneficial arrangement for all parties involved; indeed, this is held to be an absolute truth. Though free trade is undoubtedly the most effective form of commerce between countries from a purely economic standpoint, increasingly we find that our so-called "free trade agreements" are horribly unbalanced. Indicative of these fiascoes is the North American
In July 1944, delegates from forty-four countries met in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire for a conference. The meeting established the Bretton Woods System, a series of financial international organizations, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. In 1945, twenty-nine countries signed the Articles of Agreements, which gave birth to the IMF. The
Free Trade is the ability to trade goods and services without barriers, and for prices to rise naturally through supply and demand. In theory, Free Trade was a way to break down the barriers between countries, banishing taxes and allowing prices to be naturally set through supply and demand. According to the World Trade Organization, this gives the poor countries the opportunity to specialize in the production of goods that derive from their environment and natural resources with the capacity to sell those same goods to the western world, while being able to buy back goods that may not produced in their native country. This idea is to be beneficial to all; however, the rich become richer while the poor remain poor.
Structural unemployment may occur in the short term with the removal of trade barriers. This will have impact on large numbers of workers, as well as their families and local economies. In growth industries workers often will have difficulties to find employment.
Free trade is exchange of goods and commodities between parties without the enforcement of tariffs or duties. The trading of goods between people, communities, and nations is not an innovative economic practice. Nations are however the main element within a free trade agreement. By examining free trade through three different political ideologies: Liberal, Nationalistic, and Marxist approaches, the advantages and disadvantages will become apparent. Theses three ideologies offer the best evaluation of free trade from three different perspectives.
The word bank and IMF are the two main global financial institutions that lend money to various developed and developing countries. According to Wolff (2013) these institutions came into being in 1944 after the Bretton woods conference to establish a firm global economy after the world war two. The purpose of these institutions was to stimulate a stable development and offer unconditional loans to nations in economic crisis so as to achieve their developmental needs (Wolff, 2013). However, these never saw the daylight, due to pressure experienced from the US legislatures, also known as the ‘‘Washington Consensus’’ which as a result led the IMF and World Bank to lend money with harsh conditions.
Out of the ashes of a global economy torn by war and depression when protectionism was prevalent as a security measure, the General Agreement on Tarriffs and Trade (GATT) was formed in 1947. It was designed to lower tariffs and other trade barriers, on a reciprocal and mutually advantageous basis so as to help in economic recovery. Several rules were present in GATT, and were later on carried onto WTO, including:
The three major international economic institutions are the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the World Trade Organization; this book mainly focuses on the IMF and the World Bank, due to the author’s first-hand experience with both institutions. The IMF, a public institution built as a guiding hand for economic stability around the world, has brought false
Here the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, later divided into the World Bank and Bank for International Settlement, were established. To regulate the international policy economy these institutions become known as the Bretton Woods institutions and became operational in 1946. The IMF, founded to stabilize countries' currencies in relation to each other, holds money in trust, which member countries can borrow according to terms set by the institution. The World Bank instead gives more long-term loans and sells bonds to corporations and governments, which bind the issuer to pay the bondholder the amount of the loan plus interest. However, the countries taking advantage of the opportunity to borrow money to improve their affected economy are obliged to launch a set of policies, known as the Washington Consensus, which was first presented in 1989. The reforms introduced by the Institute for International Economics include "deregulation, privatization, currency devaluation, social spending cuts, lower corporate taxes, export driven strategies, and removal of foreign investment restrictions" . More, "these loans are only granted when the countries agree to the adoption to a comprehensive programme of macro-economic stabilization and structural economic reform."
Historically, trade agreements had been signed before World War II. To begin with, the Cobden-Chevalier Treaty of 1860 was concluded as a means of opening the French market to British manufacturers, stimulating a series of liberalising trade agreements among the European countries. In 1930, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Sweden established the Dutch-Scandinavian Economic Pact as a means of protecting themselves from economic crisis. Later, the United States enacted the Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act in 1934 to conclude trade agreements with country with Latin American countries, Canada and the United Kingdom.