Is Free Trade Fair

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Is Free Trade fair? Santiago Gonzales University of the Incarnate Word International Business Management BINT 3331 Dr. Murat Tas July 20, 2014 Is Free Trade fair? “Free trade refers to a general openness to exchange goods and information between and among nations with few-to-no barriers-to-trade. Fair trade refers to exchanges, the terms of which meet the demands of justice.” ("Free Trade Vs. Fair Trade," 2005, para. 1) With that being said, exporting and importing is great for companies and society to bring goods and services to people, however the way trade is done can be viewed as unfair in regards to the welfare of people and justice for human man kind who is working in third world countries. “Proponents of fair trade argue that exchanges between developed nations and lesser developed countries (LDCs) occur along uneven terms, and should be made more equitable.” ("Free Trade Vs. Fair Trade," 2005, para. 3) “By contrast, free trade proponents believe that under a system of voluntary exchange, the demands of justice are met. Although free traders hope to alleviate poverty and improve conditions around the world, they prefer measures that are less intrusive than fair traders, who regard the unfettered market as injurious to these same goals.” ("Free Trade Vs. Fair Trade," 2005, para. 5) In my opinion, justice is not fully met just because the system is voluntary. Regardless of free trade being voluntary, it may occur at costs that are unfair to some people however free trade may help the disadvantaged artisans and farmers. Throughout the history of economic life, free trade has been the exception, 10 not the rule. Using protectionist measures such as monopolies11, subsidies, tariffs and quotas, governments have stopped the free flow of trade, have reduced choice and excluded potential producers from the market place. ("How fair is free trade," n.d.,
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