The document discusses how international trade agreements are often negotiated in a way that prioritizes maximizing trade over development. While trade can promote development, free trade agreements regularly include provisions that boost corporate profits at the expense of public welfare. For trade to benefit marginalized economies, agreements need to focus on maximizing development rather than trade and allow countries to protect infant industries through tariffs. The conclusion calls for rethinking contemporary free trade agreements to create alternatives that put people's interests at the core.

1. www.seatiniuganda.com +256-414-540856
Sovereignty, global values and
International Trade
KIIZA AFRICA; PROGRAM OFFICER,

2. Fact:
Trade can work for dev’t.
But Trade can be a tool for further marginalization of poor
economies
 Trade Agreements are a double-edged knife: if not
properly negotiated, they can have far reaching implications
on our economy and people’s livelihoods.
 Hungry for Trade…maximize trade, trade and trade
SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AFRICA TRADE INFORMATION AND NEGOTIATIONS INSTITUTE 2

3. Standard promises of FTAs: A mirage ?
Promoting regional integration, creating employment,
fostering structural transformation, and raising living
standards of the negotiating parties--rather than to
maximize trade per se.
 BUT in reality, FTAs prioritize maximizing Trade often at
the expense of development.
SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AFRICA TRADE INFORMATION AND NEGOTIATIONS INSTITUTE 3

4. Cont….
FTAs being used by blocs like EU to win concessions in that
they are unable to obtain at the WTO…since 2003 after
WTO Cancun MC
 FTAs technically shd be between equal
partners/economies.
Compare the East African Community liberalizing 82.6%
of her imports from the European Union!
SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AFRICA TRADE INFORMATION AND NEGOTIATIONS INSTITUTE 4

5. Cont…..
International Trade Agreements are often driven by an
absolutist ideology which undermines the expected “mutual
benefit” from economic cooperation
 Stiglitz…….Four Steps to Damnation: Step 4-Free Trade
SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AFRICA TRADE INFORMATION AND NEGOTIATIONS INSTITUTE 5

6. Cont…
FTAs commonly cover issues such as labor standards,
patent rules, investor-state dispute settlements, and the
harmonization of standards that boost corporate profits at
the expense of broader wellbeing.
These elements of “free trade” agreements go beyond
what most trade models were set up to analyze;
 They occupy domains of public welfare about which most
economists have chosen to remain mute.
SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AFRICA TRADE INFORMATION AND NEGOTIATIONS INSTITUTE 6

7. Shaping International Trade to work for
people & marginalized economies
 Design Development friendly trading rules…focus on
maximizing development than trade (increased market
access).
 Promote regional integration and intra-regional trade.
 Allow for use of Tariffs for infant industry growth and
competitiveness
 Regulate FDIs
SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AFRICA TRADE INFORMATION AND NEGOTIATIONS INSTITUTE 7

8. Conclusion
SOUTHERN AND EASTERN AFRICA TRADE INFORMATION AND NEGOTIATIONS INSTITUTE 8
Need to rethink the
contemporary FTAs
for alternative FTAs
i.e. those that put
interests of the
people at their core
mandate

9. www.seatiniuganda.com
+256-414-540856
seatini@infocom.co.ug
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Kampala,Uganda
P.O Box 3138,Kampala,
Uganda
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