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Trade justice now
Examples of unfair trade rules
- Exports: Rich countries make it difficult for poor countries to export their products to them, by charging high tariffs and in other ways. Why should the poorest people in the world have to pay for the right to sell their wares to the richest people in the world?
- Markets: Rich countries are pressing developing countries to open their markets to competition, and to allow uncontrolled foreign investment. But no country in the world has developed economically without protecting and supporting its own industries. All rich countries still use these tools. Double standards, or what?
- Commodities: Big companies are making handsome profits while developing countries' economies take a battering as prices for commodities fall. Coffee is one example. Coffee farmers are now selling their coffee beans for much less than they cost to produce; but have Sainsbury's or Starbucks dropped their prices?
- Agriculture: Rich countries subsidise their farmers. This promotes industrial, chemical-intensive agriculture that damages the environment and encourages farmers to overproduce and "dump" their surplus in developing country markets. This is putting local farmers out of business and creating a dependence on imports to survive.
- "Patented" resources: World trade rules allow multinational companies to "patent" natural chemicals and products. This can lead to rapid, unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, and gives companies exclusive rights to use things which people have developed over generations.
- Natural resources: The growing "consumer culture" has led to unsustainable exploitation of natural resources (like metals, minerals and fuels) and production of far more waste (like plastic packaging) than the environment can handle. Trade rules and regulations on big business are urgently needed to address this and ensure global environmental and social justice.
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