Churchill explicitly pointed out in his radio program that the Atlantic Charter contained “clear and distinct differences” from the attitude of the Allies after the First World War, “and no one should overlook them.” In particular, “instead of trying to ruin German trade through all sorts of additional trade barriers and barriers, as was the case in 1917, we have definitively considered that it is not in the interest of the world” that each “nation is unproven or excluded from the means of living a dignified life for itself and its people through industry and business.” This prospect was widespread in the United Kingdom, as shown in War Cabinet documents from that period. (6) The rise of nationalist ideologies and the dark economic conditions that followed the war served to disrupt world trade and dismantle the trade networks that had shaped the previous century. The new wave of protectionist trade barriers prompted the newly formed League of Nations to convene the first World Economic Conference in 1927 to define a multilateral trade agreement. Yet the deal would have little effect, as the onset of the Great Depression triggered a new wave of protectionism. The economic insecurity and extreme nationalism of the time created the conditions for the outbreak of the Second World War. Even the financial crisis of 2007 quickly recovered. There was some protectionist pressure around the world, believing that it would protect jobs. But on the whole, governments have resisted. They were bound by their WTO obligations and, because they knew that others were bound in the same way, they were convinced that the system would remain stable. If about two-thirds of world trade had been wiped out, the situation would have been very different and the adverse effects would have been immense.
The original objective of GATT was to negotiate tariff concessions among Members and to establish a code of conduct and procedures for the settlement of trade disputes through negotiation. The basic assumption underlying U.S. participation in these efforts to promote multilateral trade agreements was that international cooperation on trade and investment created harmonious political relations and reduced tensions between nations. GATT was founded on the principles of non-discrimination and multilateralism in international trade. Non-discrimination was expressed in the unconditional most-favoured-nation status of all Parties. If, under this agreement, customs duties on imports from one country were to be reduced, the duty on all imports of the same products from other GATT members should also be reduced. Most-favoured-nation treaties were the Preferred U.S. means of dealing with China in the nineteenth century, when the U.S. gained access to the Chinese market on the back of British imperialism. In fact, treaties of the most favored nations have been favored throughout the history of the United States, and GATT has been only the latest incarnation of this mechanism for expanding trade opportunities. Multilateralism in the 1950s and 1960s fostered the expansion of American companies around the world, but in the 1970s and 1980s, free trade meant that the United States faced fierce competition from the revived economies of Western Europe and Japan.
Initially, Washington sought to maintain its advantage by promoting the extension of GATT rules to non-traditional areas. The GATT sponsored a series of multinational trade negotiations (so-called rounds) aimed at gradually reducing tariffs and eliminating unfair trade practices. In the Uruguay Round (1986-1994), in which 117 countries participated, the GATT agreement was extended to areas such as services, patents, trademarks, copyright and, above all, agriculture. At its last meeting (on 7 April 1994 in Marrakesh, Morocco), the Uruguay Round also established the World Trade Organisation, which from 1 April 1994. In January 1995, the Committee was to take over the administrative tasks previously carried out by GATT. Congress passed legislation implementing the agreement on 7 December 1994. Fast forward to today. The value of global economic rules is questioned by many. This has been accompanied by an increase in protectionist trade barriers. Of course, the removal of trade barriers was not the only cause of this increase in trade, but it was probably one of the most important factors. Other developments, such as better and cheaper means of transport and communication, have also played an important role.
Article 4. They shall endeavour, in accordance with their existing obligations, to promote equal access to world trade and to the raw materials necessary for their economic prosperity for all States, large or small, victorious or defeated. The trade agreements that were to become law had serious concerns about the labor agreement provisions in the Colombian agreement and the threat of unfair competition due to the removal of trade barriers with South Korea, and it refused to approve the agreements until the Obama administration renegotiated the relevant provisions. For many countries, unilateral reforms are the only effective way to reduce barriers to internal trade. However, multilateral and bilateral approaches – the removal of barriers to e-trade with other countries – have two advantages over unilateral approaches. First, the economic benefits of international trade are amplified and amplified when many countries or regions agree to mutually dismantle barriers to trade. By expanding markets, concerted trade liberalization increases competition and specialization among countries, thus giving a greater boost to consumer efficiency and incomes. The history of international trade may seem like a struggle between protectionism and free trade, but the modern context currently allows both types of policies to develop in parallel. In fact, the choice between free trade and protectionism can be a bad choice. .
