Free Trade or protectionism?

6508 thumbnail
Posted: 16 years ago
#1

Free trade or protectionism?

An EU summit on the economy on 1 March will focus on the issue of protectionism dividing EU members. Does the economic crisis justify protectionist policies?

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has signalled he is determined to keep production lines working in France through giving subsidies to the French car industry.

Ahead of the summit, Gordon Brown, EU Commission President Barroso and the Czech prime minister have all exchanged public letters attacking protectionism. The French move raised fears that national protectionism could scupper hopes of recovery within the EU......but the french say that if the US defended its own industries, perhaps Europe should do the same.

Should individual EU countries act to protect their jobs or should members compete in the market together?
Considering the magnitude of the global economic collapse and the fact that the USA has been doing just that the past few months, would it be reckless for Europe not to do the same?
But what about Japanese, German and American car companies that have invested here?
see this

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344471 thumbnail
Posted: 16 years ago
#2
**shrugs**
Have read a lot about these in Economics, but forgot everything by now LOL. Will have to research more on this issue before I reply. Nice topic, though.
return_to_hades thumbnail
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Posted: 16 years ago
#3
The EU is in a unique situation. They are 27 (or last I know) separate countries forming one economic and political Union. Its different from American, Japan etc as such where the nation is the economic union.

A protectionist bailout plan will effect the economy in one market - but the currency of the entire market. Free trade will effect currency and economy of the entire market.

I feel the EU should play the "EU vs World" game, which I think they did successfully till the economic crisis. Free trade within EU, protectionism from the outside world. They ought to stick together and find the solution that improves the whole economy.

However, this may be the rest of the worlds opportunity for the disintegration of the EU economic and monetary system. No more Europower.
nuomi.riceball thumbnail
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Posted: 16 years ago
#4
it depends on the situation and conditions of the country you are talking about whether it will be better for them to do free trade or protectionism. sometimes even the country imposed free trades to certain goods and sometimes they imposed protectionism to certain goods. even though now big countries such as united states are trying to avoid protectionism simply because they could not gain much advantages in trades by doing protectionism, however if we see the history of the united states they were doing protectionism to their industries during their early history because they could not compete with european industries especially the british.
sameer.84 thumbnail
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Posted: 16 years ago
#5

its kind of hypocrisy on the western part!

when india does, its called outdated and closed economy and when they do its ok!

JayKish thumbnail
Posted: 16 years ago
#6
It is not the time of developing in economy for major country. Major country of the world are now developed. In this time we can only talk about barrier on free trade but is not possible now in the age of imperialism.
nuomi.riceball thumbnail
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Posted: 16 years ago
#7

Originally posted by: sam_84

its kind of hypocrisy on the western part!

when india does, its called outdated and closed economy and when they do its ok!

true it's a kind of hypocrisy on the western part. the united states for example is a very big supporter of free trade but even though they are a very big supporter of free trade they limit they number of japanese cars to enter to the american's market. this is because japanese cars are much cheaper and better in qualities comparing to american's cars and therefore they need to put protectionism in their cars because the sales are dropping high when the japanese cars were booming in america. the same applies to the western european countries or the european union countries. the european union countries are big supporters of free trade but they limit the number of cars entering the european union countries from japan, and clothes and textile from china and india. australia is a very big supporter of free trade but they even until now still imposed a very strong and strict protections to their agricultural and fish industries.
raj5000 thumbnail
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Posted: 16 years ago
#8

Originally posted by: sam_84

its kind of hypocrisy on the western part!

when india does, its called outdated and closed economy and when they do its ok!

Good Point Sam!!
@Anon - For one sec I really thought, this topic is HM one😆, good realized on time.. lols. Well re:topic have no concrete view/position, so will hold off.
Edited by raj5000 - 16 years ago
sonur15 thumbnail
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Posted: 16 years ago
#9

Originally posted by: sam_84

its kind of hypocrisy on the western part!

when india does, its called outdated and closed economy and when they do its ok!

😆😆😆...u r absolutely right sam...........😆
Edited by sonur15 - 16 years ago
Posted: 16 years ago
#10
Free trade on certain levels is good.
i.e. you dont want free trade on certain industries/sectors like the ones in which the FDA controls or monitors.
Also free trade should be promoted, but should be held towards the consumer country's standards. Meaning, food, saftey should be inline to the consumers country.
NAFTA gained alot of resistance in the past years, but now people are coping with it, esp those smaller businesses who have failed due to its open doors.

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