unfair labor standards to make U.S. products cheaply, and announced that they would shut out all U.S. imports

until the United States adopted paid parental leave, added more national holidays, and doubled vacation time,

Americans would be outraged. Yet when U.S. protectionists start talking about restricting imports from poor

countries because of low wage levels and poor working conditions, they are making a very similar argument.

This is not to say that labor conditions in low-income countries are not an important issue. They are. However,

linking labor conditions in low-income countries to trade deflects the emphasis from the real question to ask:

“What are acceptable and enforceable minimum labor standards and protections to have the world over?”

20.3 Arguments in Support of Restricting Imports

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Explain and analyze various arguments that are in support of restricting imports, including the infant
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