Chapter Summary: Globalization And Trade

In trade routes and otherwise greed led to violence. This was demonstrated through slavery, piracy, and control of ivory and opium. African slavery began from greed; Europeans needed labor to fuel their large trading productions and manufacturing of the traded goods. Mesoamerican slavery and destruction was caused by the Spanish conquistadors in their infamous quest for gold, god, and glory. Through greed the conquistadors decimated an entire civilization to obtain their gold. However the British and Dutch reaped many economic benefits of this perhaps even without knowledge of where their wealth had come from. Piracy, also fueled by greed, began as small bands, but eventually transformed into large companies of corporate raiders. The

Nations trade with one another because it is mutually advantageous for both parties when one is more efficient at producing a certain good and at a lower cost, and the other is proficient at producing a different good or service more efficiently. This is based on Ricaro’s theory of comparative advantage.

Professor Donald J. Boudreaux, in his essay “Free Trade and Globalization: More than ‘Just Stuff’,” discusses the impact of Free Trade and Globalization on the topics of diversity, cultural, and intellectual development. While Boudreaux is certainly an authority on the topic, his libertarian ideology leaves readers critical of the arguments he makes. Generally though, Boudreaux keeps his ideology distant from his argument and is able to present reasonably impartial thoughts on the subject matter, as seen in the simple title. The date is recent enough for the argument to be valid, but the publisher unfortunately shares a similar agenda as Boudreaux, further comprising the argument. The claims made are broad and powerful, in contrast to the evidence

However, it was apparent to economists that nations with similar resource endowments exchanged similar products with each other. Economists felt that trade explained solely by comparative advantage was an incomplete analysis of international trade. Furthermore, since the classical trade theory was unable to explain intraindustry trade, economists decided to expand on the classical trade theory by creating a new theory of trade (Carbaugh, 2011). The new theory states that economies of scale provide incentive for a country to specialize in a particular product (Carbaugh, 2011). Furthermore, based on economies of scale, nations with similar factor endowments will trade with each other as sometimes it is beneficial (Carbaugh, 2011). Arguments stemming from this new trade theory puts the economic case for free trade in doubt.

Cowen, Tabarrok, points out, “Trade creates value by moving goods from people who value them less to people who value them more however, comparative advantages: Is the ability to produce a good or service at a lower opportunity cost than another producer. ‘(2.1.2.3. Cowen/Tabarrok).

On one hand, it can be argued that by partaking within these mass production trade systems, one nation can develop economically by providing mass produced products at low prices due to cheap labor and material costs. Here is where things seem to become clouded, the free trade agreement between different countries. It is this agreement that allows different countries to import and export goods with the reduction and or elimination of tariffs. (Globalization Pt. II). However, this hinders all countries on a global scale, as the promotion and exploitation of these unjust working conditions are used to keep under developed countries from achieving a higher quality of

Economic analysts say trading among other countries with no stipulations improve global efficiency in resource allocation (Tupy, 2005). Free Trade delivers goods and services to those who value them most and allows partners to gain from specializing in the producing those goods and services they do best; according to Tupy’s findings, Economists call that the law of comparative advantage. Tupy also states when producers create goods they are comparatively skilled at i.e. Germans producing beer and the French producing wine, those goods increase in abundance and quality. Trade allows consumers to benefit from more efficient production methods, for example, without large markets for goods and services, large production runs would not be economical. Large production runs, in turn, are instrumental to reducing product costs while lower production

Economic globalization has become the most important feature and a general trend of present world economic development. Globalization is a phenomenon and also a process of development of mankind and human society (Hamilton, 2008). It is the essential feature of the modern age. Globalization is the cross-border flows of capital and goods, including capital, labour, technology and natural resources (Bożyk, Misala & Puławski, 2002). Economic globalization is a historical process, and the germination of it could date back to the 16th century. After the industrial revolution, capitalist commodity economy, modern industry and transportation have been developing rapidly. The world market was fast expanded and the foreign trade was

Global (international) trade is one of the most common norms happening all around the world today. This is one of the core factors that have, over the years, lead the world to becoming more and more globalized. Globalization is what our society has come to – there is always interdependence with one another. A nation on its own cannot possibly provide for, and meet all their citizen’s desires, especially now with a greater number of immigrants, hence a growing multicultural population. Take for instance this example: you enter into a supermarket anywhere in the world today, and what you will find are products and goods from just about every part of the globe; whether it be Greece, China, Italy, India – you name it. However, that said, what

Theodore Levitt is often considered to be the first to recognize the trend towards globalization and states that: “companies must learn to operate as if the world were one large market – ignoring superficial regional and national differences…” In addition, he argues that the companies that do not adapt to the new global realities will become the victims of those that do.

Trade freedom is a highly important factor in determining economic freedom and wealth. No one single country has the resources required to sustain the current standards of living in developed or developing nations. Trade requires specialization according to a country’s comparative advantage. Specialization allows the most efficient and effective use of a country’s scarce resources, whether that be natural resources or labor resources. The Index shows the economic benefits of specialization and trade.

Countries are enabled by free international trade to specialise or to focus in the production of the goods in which they have a comparative advantage. Specialisation countries can take the benefit of efficiencies generated from increased output and economies of trade. The size of the firm’s market are increased by the international trade which results in lower average costs and increasing in productivity, as it ultimately leads to increase in production.

There are many ways to look at and understand modern globalization. In general terms, globalization means that the world, as a whole, is leading to a more utopian society, meaning that the globe is become very interconnected and similarities are growing between different regions and cultures of the world. Globalization is a phenomenon that has been evolving since before 10,000 B.C. This constant evolution can cause many problems, but it can also solve many issues positively as well. Development of any country, however, seems to be a key issue when discussing globalization. Globalization and development present two different factors in the world today. Many countries are lacking in their own development while the world around them is becoming more developed and globalized. Globalization hinders development because with globalization, less developed countries depend on more developed countries to help them to sustainability and self-reliance.

In today’s world, with a few notable exceptions, nearly everyone in every region of the world has access to the same products, information and services. A long-distance relationship is no longer so distant, since each party involved in the relationship can communicate through Skype, Facebook or through any of the vast amount of social media available. A person in Easter Island, one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world, can go to the other side of the world and travel to Canada. An economic crisis in Argentina could affect the economic landscape in Brazil. A person in Chile or Peru can buy an Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirt because this transnational corporation decided to expand its market to developing countries, or as you might prefer, to emerging economies in South America. Although many of these examples might be trivial, these are the consequences of globalization.

Globalization has generally been viewed as a positive aspect. Although it’s viewed as a positive thing, it also has its negative aspects that people usually choose to over-see and ignore. The most positive aspect of it was importing and exporting goods for other merchandise that may be needed more than what you have or in which crowded places it was not self-sufficient. In Pomeranz and Topik 2.7 Trade, Disorder, and Progress: Creating Shanghai, 1840-1930 really grasps the positive areas of the impact globalization has had on trade. 3.4 The Brew of Business: Coffee’s Life Story in Pomeranz and Topik as well as 2.7 focuses more on the positive that it does on the negative. It isn’t until 5.6 The Violent Birth of Corporations in Pomeranz and Topik that negative aspects start being brought up. Violence against native people is almost the only negative part about it due to the fact that no one should be tortured, used, or harmed in this process since it is normally used for good. Some of the good things that came from this is the fact that if you need something you don’t have, you know you can rely on trading something you do have for what you don’t, the way coffee grew, and the connections it built were all positive. Some of the disadvantages of trade were increased jobs outsourcing, theft of intellectual property, crowd out domestic industries, poor working conditions, degradation of natural