Chapter SEVEN governmentAL INFLUENCE ON TRADE OBJECTIVES • To realize the rationales for government policies that enhance and restrict trade • To interpret the effects of pressure groups on trade policies • To understand the comparison of protectionist rationales used in high-income countries with those used in low-income countries’ economies • To comprehend the potential and actual effects of governmental intervention on the free flow of trade • To understand the major means by which trade is restricted and regulated • To grasp the business uncertainties and business opportunities created by governmental trade policies Chapter Overview A government’s political objectives are sometimes at odds with its economic …show more content…
[Note Fig. 7.1.] III. ECONOMIC RATIONALES FOR GOVERNMENTAL INTERVENTION Government intervention in the trade process may be either economic or noneconomic in nature. [See Table 7.1.] A. Unemployment Persistent unemployment pushes many groups to call for protectionism; one of the most effective is organized labor. By limiting imports, local jobs are retained as firms and consumers are forced to purchase domestically produced goods and services. However, unless the protectionist country is relatively small, such measures usually do little to limit unemployment. On the other hand, they may result in a decline in export-related jobs because of (i) price increases for components or (ii) lower incomes abroad. Further, such measures are likely to lead to retaliation unless either the protectionist or the affected country is relatively small. Thus, governments must carefully balance the costs of higher prices with the costs of unemployment and the displaced production that would result from freer trade when enacting such measures. B. Infant-Industry Argument First presented by Alexander Hamilton in 1792, the infant-industry argument holds that a government should temporarily shield emerging industries in which the country may ultimately possess a comparative advantage from international competition until
For Example: Suppose a company cuts their workweek from 40 hours to 30 while keeping the wage the same. This will open up jobs, possibly making the total man hours the similar to before. There was no benefit for the company to do that at all. All that happened was that the employed had given up their pay for the unemployed. On the other hand, if the company reduced the work week and increased the wage, the firm would have to raise prices and cut profits. The biggest misconception of protectionism is the fact that merchants are looking at the short term benefits rather than the long term impact. When placing tariffs on common goods productivity and wages are reduced. In a protected industry it is contrast for wage and efficiency, but fall for the overall
In conclusion, the topic of free trade is difficult to debate and often controversial as it has advantages but also disadvantages. Nonetheless, the drawbacks outweigh the benefits as it one, contravenes basic moral ideologies, two, makes the rich, richer, and the poor, poorer, and three, jeopardizes our declining environment. All in all, free trade will neither support nor sustain our country to be ethical, prosperous or
Therefore, he did believe in the value of free trade, but also held a position that protectionary measure was required to some degree to assist local business in the competitive market. As stated above the protectionary measure that were in place were necessary for that particular ear because it aided in the development of the countries we have today. Protectionary measures have aided in the creation of monopolies that have exploited the consumers while the companies get wealthier. Hence, the majority of countries in the twenty-first century have adopted a relatively open-market economy that promotes trade on a global scale. Despite this, there are still numerous barriers to overcome even during the era of globalization. As countries with diverse political stances continue to resort to protectionist measures, this could potentially lead to more severe implications. Thus the invaluable knowledge gained from an economic history of though can prove to be beneficial to further
In this I am going to assess the methods to increase trade between countries and the methods to restrict trade between countries. When asses the methods of encouraging and restricting trade I will talk about the purpose for the methods of promoting and restricting international trade, identify how and why they might be used and I will decide how useful each method is giving appropriate reasons for it. International trade is the exchange of goods and services between countries.
Consequently, while government intervention does not always work, it has become more of the norm in current international trade. However, as Krugman points out, “[e]ven in a world characterized by increasing returns and imperfect competition, budget constraints still hold. A country cannot protect everything and subsidize everything” (Krugman P. R., 1987, p. 140). Even within a country’s internal economy, a government must determine which industry or industries to favor in allocating resources, because international trade policy cannot favor every industry. Allocation of resources to one industry must, of necessity, take away from other industries, and a policy that favors one must by
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.
Economic policy of nations and states, tariffs are tools used to control the flow of goods, services and resources being brought into the country. The overall purpose is to create security for the domestic industry from the imported product. These products can sometimes be less expensive to purchase than the goods being manufactured in the local economy. (McEachern, 2015) The government does this either stimulate or deflate trade with other countries. (Fontinelle, 2012)
Background paper to the 2010 World Trade Report. Colorado: World Trade Organisation. Driskill, R. (2007). Deconstructing the argument for free trade. [online] Available at: http://www.vanderbilt.edu/econ/faculty/Driskill/DeconstructingfreetradeAug27a2007.pdf
Protectionism by way of the price mechanisms such as tariffs, subsides, quotas, export licences and import duties (Rugman, 2009) are just some of the measures which can seriously impact on a foreign company. For example the American steel industry was afforded protection under the Bush administration when large tariffs were imposed on foreign steel imports in order to safeguard the jobs of the national steel workers (Mankiw and Taylor, 2008).
Free trade has long be seen by economists as being essential in promoting effective use of natural resources, employment, reduction of poverty and diversity of products for consumers. But the concept of free trade has had many barriers to over come. Including government practices by developed countries, under public and corporate pressures, to protect domestic firms from cheap foreign products. But as history has shown us time and time again is that protectionist measures imposed by governments has almost always had negative effects on the local and world economies. These protectionist measures also hurt developing countries trying to inter into the international trade markets.
Main protectionist policies include tariffs, quotas, embargos and voluntary export restraints, and Adam Smith’s idea of absolute advantage has been developed further to explain international trade. In recent years, protectionism has become closely related to globalization during which the influences of trades spread almost everywhere, so people insist upon the study of social deformities generated by improper policies on international trade and the task of pointing them out with a view to remedy. There are certainly both economic and political purposes of trade
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
Adam Smith outlined that the price mechanism in international trade is like an ‘invisible hand’ that coordinates the consumption and production decisions in a well-functioning market economy (Kerr and Gaisford 2007). However, there is need for the government to intervene in free market economies in order to implement trade regulations and avoid market failure that is associated with negative externalities. International trade is affected by government’s interventions that include direct participation in supply and purchase of essential goods and services, through regulation, taxation and other indirect participation influences. The free markets enhance market efficiency through ensuring that prices are determined by the
“Trade freedom reflects an economy’s openness to the import of goods and services from around the world and the citizen’s ability to interact freely as buyer or seller in the international marketplace” (Miller and Kim, 2011). Tariffs, export taxes, trade quotas, trade bans, and other trade restrictions all hinder the free flow of foreign and domestic commerce. Tariffs and export taxes increase prices to both
The key important role of government intervene in international trade is interest to protect the domestic producers in their country. Political arguments concerned with protecting the interests of one group, which are producers often at the expense of another within a nation, which are consumers. First, government should protect jobs and