Unfair Trade: Taking Advantage of Poor Countries
Protectionism Cause of Food Crisis
By Efren L. Danao With AFP
The Manila Times
The protectionist policy of developed countries is fueling the growing food crisis, Sen. Edgardo Angara charged on Wednesday.
In a speech on the global food crisis before Philippines Inc. at the Tower Club in Makati City, Angara said free trade has neither been free nor fair as it opened up markets of developing countries to goods from rich countries without full reciprocation.
“While developed countries forced us to open our markets to their industrial goods, they kept their markets closed to our agricultural products with various mechanisms such as tariff and non-tariff barriers,” he added.
In Yokohama, African leaders also on Wednesday lashed out at the rich countries for failing to tackle trade inequalities even as they make lofty pledges to boost aid.
The leaders, in Japan for a major development conference, urged these industrialized nations to make it easier for them to export food, coffee and other products at fair prices. Forty heads of states from Africa are participating in the three-day conference to discuss economic growth, stability and climate change.
“Pursuit of unfair trade practices by the big powers as well as difficult access for African products to markets of developed countries continue to penalize our states and significantly destroy their performance in the creation of riches,” said Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore. [...]
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In a speech on the global food crisis before Philippines Inc. at the Tower Club in Makati City, Angara said free trade has neither been free nor fair as it opened up markets of developing countries to goods from rich countries without full reciprocation.
“While developed countries forced us to open our markets to their industrial goods, they kept their markets closed to our agricultural products with various mechanisms such as tariff and non-tariff barriers,” he added.
In Yokohama, African leaders also on Wednesday lashed out at the rich countries for failing to tackle trade inequalities even as they make lofty pledges to boost aid.
The leaders, in Japan for a major development conference, urged these industrialized nations to make it easier for them to export food, coffee and other products at fair prices. Forty heads of states from Africa are participating in the three-day conference to discuss economic growth, stability and climate change.
“Pursuit of unfair trade practices by the big powers as well as difficult access for African products to markets of developed countries continue to penalize our states and significantly destroy their performance in the creation of riches,” said Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore. [...]
Click here to read full text.
