International Investment And Trade : Foreign Policy Goals And Consumer Safety

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

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.

From an academic standpoint, economists overall believe that free trade would benefit the economy more than instituting tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers. However, the reality is quite different. Politically, tariffs help to strike a balance between social welfare and the politicians’ goals. One theory is that campaign contributions are needed for re-election; and to achieve these funds, politicians will weigh this need against welfare-reducing protection for industry lobbyists (Magee, 2011). The models would suggest that the tariffs should actually be much higher than they are due to the low efficiency cost of tariffs compared to the substantial gains provided for the producers (Magee, 2011). However, developed countries actually have very low tariffs. There are six possible explanations for why developed countries have such low tariffs when the political theories behind why we have tariffs at all would suggest they should be higher.

As a result, of rising opportunity costs, domestic production may stop short of complete specialization. However, if a large group of people and nations are benefiting from specialization and in international exchange, the government has the power to restrict the free flow of imports or encourage exports. Government can interfere with free trade by protective tariffs, import quotas, nontariff barriers, and export subsidies. Protective tariffs are tariffs that are enacted with the aim of protecting a domestic industry. Import tariffs limits on the quantities or total value of specific items that may be imported. Nontariff barriers is a form of restrictive trade where barriers to trade are set up and take a form other than a tariff. While export subsidies is a government policy to encourage export of goods and discourage sale of goods on the domestic market through direct payments, low-cost loans, tax relief for exporters, or government-financed international advertising. In executing barriers against imports, the nations whose exports suffer may retaliate with trade barriers of their own, creating a trade

Economist have been debating between free trade and protectionism for decades. This debate has been most recently reiterated through President Donald Trump’s announcement that his administration would be taking steps to limit free trade in the United States. The opinion piece “Beware the Trump Trade Trap” by Liz Mair, argues that free trade is positively linked to a country’s prosperity, although most of the population may disagree with this. Mair argues that protectionism would limit consumption, however, it is important to also expand upon these ideas and to remember that free trade encourages prosperity, comparative advantage, and improves economic growth.

The Australian Government participated in the reduction of trade barriers as part of the General Agreement on Tariffs & Trade (GATT). As a result there have been pressures on the above mentioned industries that were previously protected. They have effectively become, or are becoming, casualties of what is termed ‘a race to the bottom’ between national governments as they attempt to attract investment by undercutting competition.[vi] The industries without protection are inefficient and thus profit is affected forcing firms to shift elsewhere or outsource in search of improving efficiencies.

Competition from foreign producers affects American consumers in a number of ways. They affect the way we, as Americans, pay taxes, the way we trade with other countries and the limitations of that trade. These trade barriers protect us in order to keep specific industries of the United States safe and to protect parts of our economy. Trade barriers include tariffs, quotas, and subsidies and are a part of our economy because they are necessary for the success of our country.

This is because many developed countries may use protectionist measures to prevent developing countries from having free access to certain markets (which may include the markets for the developing countries’ primary product) thus making it more difficult for poorer countries to grow and develop.

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

The country can maximize their wealth by putting the resources in the most competitive industries. Government created comparative advantage rather than free trade because now easier moves the production processes and the machines into countries that can produce more goods (Yeager & Tuereck, 1984). However, many countries now move to new trade theory suggests the ability firms to limit the number of competitors associated with economic scale (reduction of costs with a large scale of output) (Krugman, 1992). The comparative advantage occurs when two-way trade in identical products, it will useful where economic scale is important, but it will create problem with this model. As a result, government must intervene in international trade for protection to domestic firms (Krugman, 1990)

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)

The basis of free trade is that in a growing economy the comparative-advantage shows that resources flow from lower productivity to those with higher productivity (Carbaugh, 2009). Along with increased employment in developing countries and higher standard of living, consumers benefit from more diversity on the market and cheaper prices. One of the baggiest challenges government’s faces is the pressure from public and domestic firms to protect the local work force from cheap foreign imports. Governments must find

Ever since the first involvement of government in international trade, many people have posed their opinion about what the role of government should be in it. Different factors are involved when it comes to deciding what this should be. It impacts a lot of people, so in order to do that, trade policy must be properly defined, identify what the roles of government currently are, and their involvement in it, and then analyse what should be their role. Trade policy is how a country carries out trade with other countries (Commercial Policy, n.d). Even though a lot of people support government intervention in international trade, countries would benefit a lot more if the government removes protectionism and promotes free trade instead.

Comparative advantage is a principle developed by David Ricardo in the early 19th century to explain the benefits of mutual trade (Carbaugh, 2008). Many underlying assumptions of comparative advantage depend on states of economic equilibrium and an absence of economy of scale. In reality, economies are dynamic and subject to innovation and interference; which has led to revised assumptions of return and competition (Krugman, 1987). These factors have created questions of free trade and governmental participation in an economy by the development of strategic trade policies. These new concepts do not replace the theory of comparative advantage; however, they further explain how trade can benefit a country's economy (Krugman, 1987).

To understand the comparison of protectionist rationales used in high-income countries with those used in low-income countries’ economies