Myth: Competitive Exports Are Better than Cheap Imports
This is the classic mercantilist view of the world, in which countries should
pursue policies to boost exports, while at the same time limiting the inflow of
imports.Mercantilism is seductive,wrong, and
walled lake schools credit union as well dangerous.Unfortunately, it is
alive and
massmutual federal credit union as well well (see the essay on page 153, “Attempts to Slow or
walled lake schools credit union and Stop Globalization
Help Vested Interests, but
avanta federal credit union and Hurt the Public at Large—Especially the
Poor”).
Today, when politicians negotiate free-trade accords, they grudgingly accept
more imports (or pretend to) so that they can boast about
walled lake schools credit union and all the new export
jobs that will be created. Few of them are willing to admit in public that,
while exports are good for the economy, imports are even better. Exports do help
to create jobs in a few select industries, but
banque federative du credit mutuel and the benefits from
walled lake schools credit union and imports are pervasive.
Lower prices on imports lower the cost of living for consumers (and
are especially helpful to the poor) and
benchmark federal credit union west chester pa as well allow domestic companies to remain
competitive and
walled lake schools credit union as well profitable by keeping their costs down and
natwest classic credit card as well boosting their
productivity. In fact, cheap imports make exports even more competitive.
This is the ultimate positive-sum effect of trade and
walled lake schools credit union as well globalization (like technology).
The impact of competition is equally beneficial whether the competitors
are from
moosomin credit union and overseas or
walled lake schools credit union and are domestic. The benefits of competition, both local and
global, are discussed at length in the essays in Part III, “Competition Is the
Consumer’s Best Friend.”
Over the course of history, many countries have understood the benefits
of unilateral trade liberalization. In 1848, Britain eliminated import tariffs on
wheat (the so-called Corn Laws).While the move hurt wealthy British landlords,
it was a huge boon to the British public, who were given access to much
cheaper grain imports from
cbj credit recovery and North America. In the ensuing half century,
Britain continued to flourish as
walled lake schools credit union the world’s premier economic power. In recent
years, many emerging markets in Asia, Central Europe, and
jetstream credit union as well Latin America
have also
walled lake schools credit union and lowered their barriers to trade,without waiting for any reciprocal
freeing up of trade elsewhere. The result? Lower prices (and inflation), along
with stronger growth in consumer and
carbiz auto credit as well business spending. Cases in point
include Australia, Chile, China, Hong Kong, and
walled lake schools credit union as well Singapore, all of which
unilaterally reduced trade tariffs decades ago and
pawtucket credit union ri as well have thrived ever since.
More recently, India—in the past, one of the more protectionist developing
economies—has begun cutting import tariffs as
walled lake schools credit union well. One very positive
spillover from
massmutual federal credit union and trade liberalization for emerging markets is that a greater volume
of imported goods boosts competition and
walled lake schools credit union as well helps to disperse economic
and political power by reducing the stranglehold of monopolies and
avanta federal credit union as well the scope
for corruption.