Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 March 2014
The removal of barriers to international trade has been a powerful stimulus to economic growth in the post-war period. World trade has grown on average 2 per cent faster than GNP throughout this period. Countries which deliberately sought to make themselves competitive externally have grown much faster than countries which relied on their domestic market. By contrast, communist countries, where the system discouraged external trade, have fallen steadily behind. The consequence for most countries has been a steadily growing share of their economy which is exposed to international competition.
1 Costs and Benefits of Protection, OECD, Paris, 1985.
2 Agricultural Policies, Markets and Trade: Monitoring and Outlook 1991, OECD, Paris, 1991.
3 Silberston, Z. A., The Multi-Fibre Arrangement and the UK Economy, HMSO, London, 1984 Google Scholar. Second Report in 1989.
4 This was first set out in National Policies and Agricultural Trade, OECD, Paris, 1987.