Umwelt- und Sozialdumping: Argumente gegen freien Welthandel?

This economic policy forum deals with the question of whether environmental and social dumping justifies countervailing trade policy measures. Rolf Langhammer and Rudolf Adlung both argue that there is no need for such policy measures. Langhammer first questions the effectiveness of anti-dumping procedures in general, since their effect on domestic economies is rather detrimental. He then argues that due to different preferences and factor endowments prices for environment and labour vary between countries. Trade policy measures in order to adjust these price differences would be contra-productive for protecting the environment and the rights of employees. On the contrary, they would reduce economic growth in these countries, which is necessary for a higher level of environmental protection and employee rights. Therefore he rejects the idea of introducing anit-dumping measures with regard to environmental and social objectives.