The book reviews protectionist practices in the United States, the European Community and Japan. It assesses their causes and effects. In coverage, depth of analysis and vantage point this is a unique study of the new protectionist trends that began in the 1970s and continued into the 1980s. Multilateralism in trade relations is now seriously threatened by the deviant behaviour of the industrial nations, the would-be pillars of the world trading system set up after World War II. The new protectionism exerts strong pressures on the weaker components of the trading system: the developing nations. Born as an intra developed countries' affair, the new protectionism has in fact shifted its focus on developing countries, threatening the newly found outward orientation of many and making more difficult for all to retain the benefits of export trade.

This monograph questions the benefits of free trade, arguing that, far from promoting prosperity for all those involved, free trade only serves a narrow range of interests, primarily for the large corporations who conduct it. The authors claim that the consequences of present arrangements and those promised under the new GATT agreement will increase the difference between the world's rich and poor and accelerate the destruction of the global environment. The authors suggest instead that trading arrangements should emphasize regional self-sufficiency and the overall amount of trade should be reduced.

Putting tariffs on imported goods or setting other barriers to international trade can be tempting for politicians. They assume that many of their constituents believe that free trade is not fair trade and that other countries aren’t playing by the rules. This belief makes it easy for industry leaders to demand protection for their businesses and their workers—to “put America first.” But Americans should resist the siren calls of protectionism. In this highly relevant protectionism primer, Pierre Lemieux shows what can happen if they don’t. As the author demonstrates, trade between any two countries is fair for the same reasons as exchange between two individuals: it is to the benefit of both. Lemieux carefully refutes the arguments of those who would curtail Americans’ access to the benefits of international commerce—from the claim that we can boost economic growth by reducing imports to the belief that free trade leads to “shipping jobs overseas.” Yes, manufacturing jobs are declining in this country and have been since the 1950s. But, as Lemieux points out, that’s in large part because Americans are making more advanced products more efficiently—that’s our comparative advantage. And this is happening as less-developed countries are producing more labor-intensive, low-tech goods—that’s their comparative advantage. All parties to a trade benefit. Lemieux shows how free trade improves the lives of American consumers, especially the poor. The narrow agenda of the protectionists—to protect a small minority of producers at the expense of millions of their fellow Americans—is the wrong path for an increasingly diverse and complex economy. This concise primer shows you why.

"Through a combination of text, quotations, cartoons, tables, charts, and graphs, Bhagwati ... looks at the forces for and against protection."--Jacket.

In this volume, the author presents the hypothesis that during the 19th and 20th centuries, political and industrial leaders of Western industrialized economics supported free-trade policies only as long as their production and sales were not threatened by significant foreign competition. When their economic hegemony was challenged, the same nations enacted protectionist measures. By integrating the historic and political factors that affected Western commercial policy in the course of two centuries, the author gives a broad perspective to the study of international trade in the 19th and 20th centuries and demonstrates the relevance of noneconomic variables in the economic history of this period.

The global financial crisis of 2008/9 is the Great Depression of the 21st century. For many though, the similarities stop at the Wall Street Crash as the current generation of policymakers have acted quickly to avoid the mistakes of the past. Yet the global crisis has made room for mistakes all of its own. While governments have apparently kept to their word on refraining from protectionist measures in the style of 1930s tariffs, there has been a disturbing rise in "murky protectionism." Seemingly benign, these crisis-linked policies are twisted to favour domestic firms, workers and investors. This book, first published as an eBook on VoxEU.org in March 2009, brings together leading trade policy practitioners and experts - including Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean and former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo. Initially its aim was to advise policymakers heading in to the G20 meeting in London, but since the threat of murky protectionism persists, so too do their warnings.