Protectionism

The doctrine of international trade with governmental intervention is called protectionism. According to it, the government must protect the national interest with tariff a non tariff barriers. Domestic consumer, industries and domestic socio-cultural values should be protected or preserved by the government through taxes, subsidies, and other different types of direct and indirect policy measures. The government may prohibit the export to make available in sufficient quantities in domestic market. Ti may promote export to earn money from the rest of the world. For it, it may impose taxes, less heavily or exempt or provide subsidies from the export. However on the import it imposes custom duty heavily and so on. Most of the less developed countries advocate in favor of protectionism.

Argument in favor of protectionism

Import independency:
If their protectionism, the countries that are less developed can compete with the developed countries. There is increase in export too. The domestic market will not be under the control of foreign industries.

No fear of colonization:
The countries that are import independent in nature, have no fear of being colonized. It is because foreign industries will not take the control of domestic market firstly, and then they will not control on domestic resources and government.

No dumping:
The developed nations will not be able to sell their cheap and wasted goods to the less developed countries and prices will be usually low.

National Identity:
Every county has its own socio-cultural and linguistic values. The people have their own identity and if there is protectionism, there will not be import of the products against such socio-cultural values and goods that are injurious to health and society.

Infant industries:
There may be industries just established. If there is protectionism, such infant industries will be able to compete with the foreign industries.

Less dispute:
The countries involved in protectionism, will have less dispute because they will have equal benefits from the trade to them.

Balance of payment:
The country can export more when there is protectionism and if there is decrease only in import. There is inflow of money in large amount than outflow of money. The balance of payment of the country becomes favorable.

Employment:
The import independent country can give employment opportunities to the people. There is high employment if the country can compete with other countries in international trade.

Proper use of resources:
If there is protectionism, the resources will used to produce the goods demanded in the domestic market. It may bring proper use of resources.

Argument against protectionism

No technical know-how:
If there exists protectionism then there exists many barriers and each country can’t easily import technical equipments, plants, machines, tools and manpower from other nations. It brings problems in consumption or use of these capital goods and human resource can thus limits in technical know how.

Lack of specialization:
Countries must use only those products which can be produced using local resources, technology and human resource. They can’t more benefit of specializing in the production of goods which can be produced using international resources, technology and human resource. No International specialization leads to improper allocation of world’s resources and leads to lesser production of goods under unfavorable conditions.

Lack of Varieties of products:
In the domestic market, large number of goods and services can’t be supplied and all required commodities cannot be produced within a single country because of lack of required resources in limited area. 4. Wide market: The domestic products can have wide market even in the foreign countries.

Small scale productions:
Since, domestic product cannot be sold in foreign market without any barrier, there is small scale production. It thus creates difficulty in raising the income level and employment level too. There is no completion among the local and foreign markets.

No compensation for lack of resources:
If there is protectionism then there arises lack of some resources which cannot be compensated by the resources available in the country. The resources cannot be easily imported either with manpower or exchanging with resources available in the country.

Low employment level:
Protectionism doesn’t help the country to create employment opportunities. Each product is produces only to fulfill domestic demand not to fulfill the demand in foreign market. Therefore, there is decrease in production and so there is lesser requirement of increment in labor in field of insurance, trade, industry, transportation and so on.

Less capital formation:
For the capital formation the investment is required. For the investment, investible fund is required. But the investible fund doesn’t easily come from export due to many barriers.

Not good diplomatic relationship:
The countries involved in protectionism do not give and take products and services benefitting each other. They will not have good diplomatic relationship.

No diversification and modernization:
The varieties of goods for luxury, efficiency, high productivity etc cannot be imported from different countries and the life is not made more luxurious, well facilitated and efficient.