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Free Trade to the Rescue of Consumers
Liberty Institute is preparing a series of briefing papers
on various trade related issues with a particular emphasis on how ordinary
consumers could benefit from attempts to liberalise international trade.
By their very nature, these draft papers are primarily aimed at promoting
discussions and improving understanding of some of the issues involved.
We are also working to expand these and cover more issues. We welcome comments
and suggestion.
It was a tumultuous week in Seattle when the ministers gathered
for the World Trade Organisation meeting, November 30 to December 3, 1999.
Here you can read some of the news and articles dealing with WTO, as well
as the protestors on the streets of Seattle who not only battled the police
but also stymied the prospects of economic improvement for poor people
around the world.
The foucs on WTO in Seattle, diverted attention from other
more serious aspects of trade. Free trade introduces competition in the
marketplace, thereby inducing producers to innovate and improve their products.
Free trade provides a wide range of products to consumers at competitive
prices and quality. Such a competitive environment, on the one hand improves
productivity benefiting the labour force, and on the other hand contributes
to a cleaner environment.
Liberty Institute participated in Seattle as a charter member
of International Consumers for Civil Society.
ICCS is an international coalition of organisations which hold that free
trade and open market are to the benefit of all consumers, workers and
the environment. For more information, visit the ICCS web site. If your
organisation would like to join ICCS, please fill in the form available
at the web site. Some information about ICCS is also available at this
site. Click here.
Following are some of the trade related briefing papers
that Liberty Institute prepared for further discussions. Some of these
issues are being looked in to greater detail. Also, work is on to cover
a wider range of trade related issues. Comments and Suggestions are most
welcome.
Trade - Costs of Protectionism: How the Indian
Consumers and Workers Lost Out
Agriculture - Trade can Change the the
Poverty Ridden Face of Rural India
Labour Standards - International Trade
and Child Labour: The role of the market in eliminating it
Environmental Standards - Free Trade Protects
the Environment
E-Commerce - Taking Advantage of E-commerce
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