Trade and Transitions: A Comparative Analysis of Adjustment Policies

The strain on the global trading system which has been apparent in recent years is evidenced in the growth of the "new protectionism"--the adoption of trade restrictions by some of the world's leading trading nations. This book takes a stand against such policies. Based on a comparative study of eight leading industrial powers, including Japan, the U.S., and Great Britain, it concludes that the restrictions are economically inefficient and do not fulfill their original intent. Instead, the authors argue, countries need to develop the policies which are least injurious to their trading partners. They find retaliatory protectionism to be damaging to all involved, and suggest that the world economy would benefit much more from institutional frameworks which encourage mutually self-interested bargaining, rather than simply attempting to constrain or transcend domestic self-interest.