The proposal by the Wildrose trade critic to ban imports of “dictator” oil from countries considered to have undesirable human rights status, or for being “unethical,” is a poorly thought out proposal, fraught with dangerous implications and potential consequences.
The “unethical” import restriction idea flies in the face of 45 years of Alberta trade policy that has consistently championed trade liberalization and increased market access while rejecting protectionism and import restrictions.
The proposal also is inconsistent with some seven decades of international trade rule development under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), which have sought to ensure that a rules-based, impartial, non-discriminatory trade environment worked for all countries to reap the benefit of trade liberalization.
read more at edmontonjournal.com
