Should Trade Barriers Between Nations Be Eliminated?

Since the first economies were even established, nations have been agreeing, fighting, and competing with each other. Some nations like to help each other out. Some like to trade and help each other profit. Others avoid other nations completely, assuming that isolationism is the way to go because it'll make these nations independent and will cause a better lifestyle in the long run. However, trade barriers cause many problems between different nations because international trade is definitely a need on society today, and there are too many barriers holding nations from following through with this. Trade barriers in nations should be eliminated because the world as a whole can profit more and people will have access to many more different goods and services.

International trade is already established between several nations, and these nations profit off of each other nation. Trade barriers limit the amount of trade between nations, and is thus creating more problems between nations because they're not going to make as much money from each other if they're not able to trade. Several Asian nations don't export to the United States, because they're interested in making more money domestically. Little do these smaller nations know, that they can benefit to the same extent as a larger nation (U.S., Vietnam remove).

Since these smaller nations tend to participate much less in international trade, in fear that they're going to lose more than they'll gain. The thing is, these nations have just as many available resources, they're just not taking advantage of the resources to the fullest extent. Nations with so many resources can take full advantage of these available resources through international trade, as well as get many other resources that they may not have a surplus of.

Any nation can benefit from international trade, and should therefore not have trade barriers present (Tjaronda). It's true that some trade barriers in presence can increase the money spent and earned domestically, but if countries are able to earn profits from other nations, they'll have a much higher sense of income because they can expand to meet needs that they're unable to satisfy for their selves, due to limited amounts of resources.

Trade barriers can limit the amount of products leaving or entering the country through quotas, tax goods entering or leaving the country, or completely restrict trade with particular nations. The United States typically doesn't trade with communist nations, because these nations are more likely to provide us with insecurity; they may stop exporting to us. Quotas can increase the revenue for products domestically, but foreign nations are much less likely to purchase large amounts of these imports, because they're going to pay much more as consumers for these products. Quotas can completely eliminate the amount of products sent to and from nations, and is harming the economy of these nations (Zhou and Li).

In conclusion, trade barriers between nations with strict trade barriers should be eliminated. The nations with several trade barriers already have resources available which could create wealth, they will benefit in the long run, and their economy is currently being harmed be being an isolationist nation. Trade barriers in nations should be eliminated because the world as a whole can profit more and people will have access to many more different goods and services.

Sources: Parenthetical Citation Given

"U.S., Vietnam removed last trade barriers", China Daily,
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2006-05/31/content_605371.htm

Wezi Tjaronda, Windhoek, "Calls for removal of regional trade barriers", Bilaterals,
http://www.bilaterals.org/article.php3?id_article=7844

Raymond Zhou and Liu Li, "Economists call for removal of trade barriers", China Daily
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-06/01/content_447376.htm