BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

FREE TRADE FOR DEVELOPMENT: AN APPRAISAL

Author: Ishtiaque Selim

DOI Link: DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.56888/BIISSj2011v32n4a4

ABSTRACT

Over the years, free trade has been an issue of great debate. The present paper tries to examine whether free trade is conducive for the development of the developing nations. Instead of focusing on the rhetoric attached to free trade, it makes an attempt to look into the flaws in comparative advantage theory, which is a theoretical foundation of free trade. A considerable part of the paper is devoted to analyse some concerning facts related to free trade. The paper concludes that protectionism along with some appropriate government policies should be the way forward for the developing economies before their industries are exposed to free trade regime.