Free trade vs protection
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This document discusses the arguments for and against free trade versus protectionism. It begins by providing context from classical economists who argued for free trade, and the rise of protectionism post-World War II. It then outlines the key arguments for free trade, including specialization, increased prosperity, and competitive pressures. Arguments against free trade include the potential harm to developing economies and domestic industries. The document also discusses the economic and non-economic arguments in favor of protectionism, such as for infant industries, employment, and national defense. Finally, it notes some arguments against protectionism like increased prices and reduced innovation.
Free trade vs protection
- 1. SONAM SANGWAN ASSISTANT PROFESSOR, ECONOMICS GCW BAWANI KHERA Free Trade vs Protection
- 2. Introduction The issue was first raised by the classical authors that, What should be the appropriate trade policy or commercial policy of a country? Classical economists , Adam Smith and David Ricardo argued that free flow of goods and services, i.e., unrestricted trade, would be beneficial. After the World War II (1939-1945), commercial policy underwent a change when the wave of protectionism swept all over the world. It was argued at that time that though some trade is better than no trade, there is no reason to suppose that free trade is the best. Mercantilists were interested in increasing a nation’s wealth. They argued that in order to grow richer, a country had to try to make as many things as possible within its own borders and reduce to an absolute minimum its reliance on foreign imports.
- 3. Free Trade International trade that is free from all artificial barriers such as tariff, quotas and foreign exchange controls is called free trade. In other words, free trade implies absence of governmental inter- vention on international exchange among different countries of the world. This approach is based on the argument that more trade makes us wealthier and is therefore a good thing.
- 4. Protection It refers to the government policy of according protection to the domestic industries from foreign competition. This means that government intervenes in trading activities. Thus, protection is the anti-thesis of free trade or unrestricted trade.
- 5. ARGUMENTS FAVOURING FREE TRADE FREE TRADE Greater international cooperation Competitive spirit prevails Advantages of specialization All-round prosperity Free from interference Accessibility of domestically unavailable goods and raw materials
- 6. Advantages of specialization Free trade secures all the advantages of international division of labour. Each country will specialise in the production of those goods in which it has a comparative advantage over its trading partners. This will lead to the optimum and efficient utilisation of resources and, hence, economy in production. All-round prosperity Because of unrestricted trade, global output increases since specialisation, efficiency, etc. make production large scale. Free trade enables countries to obtain goods at a cheaper price. This leads to a rise in the standard of living of people of the world. Thus, free trade leads to higher production, higher consumption and higher all-round international prosperity.
- 7. Competitive spirit prevails Free trade keeps the spirit of competition of the economy. As there exists the possibility of intense foreign competition under free trade, domestic producers do not want to lose their grounds. Competition enhances efficiency. Accessibility of domestically unavailable goods and raw materials Free trade enables each country to get commodities which it cannot produce at all or can only produce inefficiently. Commodities and raw materials unavailable domestically can be procured through free movement even at a low price.
- 8. Greater international cooperation Free from interference Free trade safeguards against discrimination. Under free trade, there is no scope for cornering raw materials or commodities by any country. Free trade can, thus, promote international peace and stability through economic and political cooperation. Free trade is free from bureaucratic interferences. Bureaucracy and corruption are very much associated with unrestricted trade.
- 9. ARGUMENTS AGAINST FREE TRADE FREE TADE Advantageous not for LDCs Harmful for domestic industries Danger of overdependence Penetration of harmful foreign products Inefficient industries remain perpetually inefficient
- 10. Advantageous not for LDCs Harmful for domestic industries Free trade may be advantageous to advanced countries and not to backward economies. Free trade has brought enough misery to the poor, less developed countries. India was a classic example of colonial dependence of UK’s imperialistic power prior to 1947. Free trade principles have brought colonial imperialism in its wake. It may ruin domestic industries. Because of free trade, imported goods become available at a cheaper price. Thus, an unfair and cut- throat competition develops between domestic and foreign industries. In the process, domestic industries are wiped out. Indian handicrafts industries suffered tremendously during the British regime.
- 11. Inefficient industries remain perpetually inefficient Danger of overdependence Free trade cannot bring all-round development of industries. Comparative cost principle states that a country specialises in the production of a few commodities. On the other hand, inefficient industries remain neglected. Thus, under free trade, an all-round development is ruled out. Free trade brings in the danger of dependence. A country may face economic depression if its international trading partner suffers from it. The Great Depression that sparked off in 1929- 30 in the US economy swept all over the world and all countries suffered badly even if their economies were not caught in the grip of depression.
- 12. Penetration of harmful foreign commodities A country may have to change its consumption habits. Because of free trade, even harmful commodities (like drugs, etc.) enter the domestic market. To prevent such, restrictions on trade are required to be imposed. In view of all these arguments against free trade, governments of less developed countries in the post- Second World War period were encouraged to resort to some kind of trade restrictions to safeguard national interest.
- 13. ARGUMENTS FOR PROTECTION Protection Fallacious or dubious arguments Economic arguments Non- Economic arguments
- 14. Fallacious or dubious arguments Fallacious arguments do not stand after scrutiny. These arguments are dubious in nature in the sense that both are true. ‘To keep money at home’ is one such fallacious argument. By restricting trade, a country need not spend money to buy imported articles. If every nation pursues this goal, ultimately global trade will squeeze.
- 16. Infant industry argument: When the industry is first established its costs will be higher. It is too immature to reap economies of scale at its infancy. Workers are not only inexperienced but also less efficient. If this infant industry is allowed to grow independently, surely it will be unable to compete effectively with the already established industries of other countries. Diversification argument: As free trade increases specialisation, so protected trade brings in diversified industrial structure. By setting up newer and variety of industries through protective means, a country minimises the risk in production. Comparative advantage principle dictates narrow specialisation in production.
- 17. Employment argument: Protection can raise the level of employment. Tariffs may reduce import and, in the process, import-competing industries flourish. In addition, import- substituting industries(the substitution of domestic production for imports of manufactures)develop. The strategy of import-substituting industrialization promotes domestic industry at the expense of foreign industries. Balance of payments argument: A deficit in the balance of payments can be cured by curtailing imports. However, imports will decline following a rise in tariff rate provided other trading partners do not retaliate by imposing tariff on a country’s export.
- 18. Strategic trade advantage argument: The argument is that government support should be accorded to gain comparative advantage in the high technology industries which are crucial to the future of nation such as computers, telecommunications etc. Anti-dumping argument: Dumping is a form of price discrimination that occurs in trade. Dumping occurs when a country sells a product abroad at a low price because of competition and at a high price in the home market because of monopoly power. Dumping is outlawed by international trade pacts, such as WTO.
- 19. Non-Economic arguments •National defence •Bargaining •Keeping money at home •Size of the home market
- 20. ARGUMENTS AGAINST PROTECTION Protection is against the interest of the consumers as it increases price and reduces variety and choice. Protection makes producers and sellers less quality conscious. It encourages domestic monopolies. Even inefficient firms may feel secure under protection and it discourages innovation. Protection leaves the arena open to corruption. It reduces the volume of foreign trade. Protection leads to uneconomic utilisation of world’s resources.
- 21. Thank you….