Don Foster supports Oxfam’s new campaign for World Trade reforms

Bath MP Don Foster has today given his full support to Oxfam’s new Make Trade Fair campaign, which calls for key reforms of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

Don Foster comments: “As a Liberal Democrat, I’m convinced of the global benefits of genuine liberal trade.
“But this campaign goes way beyond that. World trade should be dramatically reformed for the simple reason that over one billion people are living in desperate poverty. For decades, their countries’ economies have been stifled by biased trade rules that favour the world’s richest nations.
“My definition of globalisation definitely doesn’t include the covert colonialism entailed in high tariff barriers, subsidies that flood the global market with surpluses, and unstable, artificially depressed commodity prices. But if we don’t change the rules, future generations will be looking back on ‘Globalisation’ as the ‘New Colonialism’.
“The WTO needs to do more to promote fair competition. That includes strengthening international action against the growing concentration of powerful corporate monopolies that build their success on their exploitation of cheap labour.
“World-wide, if WTO members agreed to reduce subsidies common to areas such as fossil fuel production and agriculture, that would open markets to poorer countries’ exports, boost their economies and reduce environmental damage.
“The WTO referees global trade and we do need it to ensure impartial, fair competition in the global arena. But the playing field of trade relations should have been levelled years ago.
“The Liberal Democrats are determined to keep campaigning to establish a firm, fair foundation for world trade.”

Notes to Editors follow…

Notes to Editors:

• A copy of the report commissioned by Oxfam can be found at www.maketradefair.com.

• The official launch of this campaign is Thursday evening at the Royal United Service Institute, Whitehall.

• Oxfam plans to hold a stall on Abbey Churchyard on Saturday, 4 May, in order to publicise this campaign locally, and Don Foster MP will be going along at lunchtime to meet supporters of the campaign.

ENDS.

This article published: 18/09/2023

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