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PovertyFrontiers.org > Events > Previous Events > 4-15-05 The Impact of Trade Liberalization on Poverty

4-15-05 The Impact of Trade Liberalization on Poverty

A conference at the Woodrow Wilson Center with support from PASSN
Conference on the Impact of Trade Liberalization on Poverty
 
Friday, April 15, 2005
8:30 a.m. – 6:00p.m.
One Woodrow Wilson Plaza, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004
 
Most economists argue that increasing international trade contributes to economic growth and therefore to the alleviation of poverty.  Beyond basic questions and theoretical costs and benefits, however, the relationship between trade and poverty becomes considerably more complicated.  Even in the most successful cases, the impact of increased trade depends heavily on the condition of existing institutions, public investments in education and infrastructure, the presence of safety nets, and the impact of the world economy. 
 
This daylong conference sponsored by the PASSN Team at the Woodrow Wilson Center on April 15 brought together national and international stakeholders, including economists, policy analysts, policymakers, and business leaders from different parts of the developing world to examine how development and trade liberalization affects poverty.  Several of the ideas and speakers at the conference were cited in an April 17 Washington Post editorial.  
 
The conference was also cited in an April 30, 2005 article by Bruce Stokes in National Journal magazine (p. 1326) titled "Will CAFTA Help Central America's Poor?"  The article explores several reasons why trade liberalization may adversely affect the poor, including constraints to mobility among unskilled workers, the risk that a more open market may create more demand for goods produced by skilled workers rather than unskilled workers, and the competition among developing countries to produce and export low-cost goods, potentially leading to the loss of markets for some countries.  According to Stokes, "So far, Congress has largely ignored this fundamental issue- the effect of trade on incomes in Central America and how to alleviate the adverse consequences of trade liberalization on the poor."  The full article may be found here on the Woodrow Wilson Center website. 
 
The conference was webcast and is viewable on the Woodrow Wilson International Center website. 

For the conference proceedings, click here. For additional information regarding this event, please contact Borany Penh or Don Sillers from the PASSN team.

For more information on the relationship between trade and poverty, see the Poverty Reduction and Trade page. 




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The Impact of Trade Liberalization on Poverty: Conference Proceedings