Reflection on Labor Standard¡¯s Linkage to International Trade

Developed countries proposed to link labor standard up to the international trade, which was based on profound economic and social foundation. On this issue, there is a fundamental difference between developed and developing countries: the developed countries think that the low labor standards in the developing countries are a reflection of social dumping, while the developing countries consider labor standard¡¯s linkage to the international trade as an embodiment of trade protectionism in developed countries. Nevertheless, the developed countries still take various measures to promote labor standards in the international trade and this trend tends to be intensified. The ultimate goal of developed countries is to integrate labor standards into the WTO multilateral trading system, and developing countries must face this reality.