It is an accepted view in the trade policy literature that those who lose from external trade are much more easily mobilized politically than those benefiting from it. As a consequence, the argument goes that there is an overrepresentation of protectionist interests in the political arena and a persistent pressure on policymakers to shield their markets from foreign competition. However, I argue that under certain circumstances, importdependent firms may very well be able and willing to mobilize politically and defend their anti-protectionist trade interests in the political arena. I will use the recent European Union (EU) anti-dumping case against Chinese and Vietnamese shoes to illustrate my argument.
Journal of World Trade