Publication

The Environmental Effects of Free Trade

Papers Presented at the North American Symposium on Assessing the Linkages Between Trade and Environment (October 2000)

Description

Among the key issues shaping the free trade and economic globalization debate is the question of how trade liberalization affects environmental quality, either in terms of direct effects on our environment, or indirectly, for instance, the effects that such trade laws as those codified in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) have on hard-fought national environmental standards and regulations.

Work in assessing the environmental effects of free trade continues to undergo significant improvements: assessment methodologies have improved; environmental data—although still filled with gaps and lack of comparability among trading partners—continue to become more robust; and tools able to draw links between trade-related economic changes and environmental changes continue to be developed.

Additional Information