TRADE LIBERALIZATION: A STUDY OF THE AGRICULTURAL TRADE POLICIES OF THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPEAN COMMUNITY AND ITS EFFECT ON DEVELOPING COUNTRIES (AFRICA)

The purpose of this thesis is to study the various protectionist policies of the European Union and the United States and to ascertain its effect on developing countries. The focus of the thesis will be from the perspective of the Agreement of the World Trade Organization. In the course of this thesis, I will deduce that protectionism has limited the advancement of trade in agriculture and the fundamental principles of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade have often been disregarded. While the thesis proposes free trade it does not propose the abolition of all barriers to trade since this would lead to the vulnerability of domestic markets and saturation of imports at the expense of domestic production. Compliance with the Agreement on Agriculture put forward by the World Trade Organization will lead to trade liberalization. Through the gradual relaxation of trade barriers, world trade in agriculture will be increased. Developing countries would gain more access to world markets thereby improving their capacity to trade in agricultural products which would increase their economic development. Trade will be expanded, there will not be the need for so much protectionism, GATT rules will be more effective thereby eliminating the various non -compliance of its principles