Monday, May 18, 2009

Free Trade Day Celebrated On May 8th

Free Trade Day was again celebrated on May 8th, the birth date of Friedrich Hayek, the Austrian economist who championed free trade.

Free Trade Day was started by Dr. Tom Stevens, the founder of the Objectivist Party. It was created so people can be made more aware of the importance of free trade to an efficient economy, wealth creation and a better standard of living.

People celebrating Free Trade Day do so in a variety of ways including the following:

1. Reading about Free Trade.

2. Reading about Friedrich Hayek and his economic theories.

3. Running a seminar, holding a meeting, or sponsoring a debate on the importance of "free trade" to enabling people to realize their potential and survive through the use of reason.

As explained on the Facebook Group page formed to promote Free Trade Day, free trade can be contrasted with protectionism, which is the economic policy of restricting trade between nations. Trade may be restricted by high tariffs on imported or exported goods, restrictive quotas, a variety of restrictive government regulations designed to discourage imports, and anti-dumping laws designed to protect domestic industries from foreign take-over or competition.

Free trade is a term in economics and government that includes:

1. Trade of goods without taxes (including tariffs) or other trade barriers (e.g., quotas on imports or subsidies for producers)

2. Trade in services without taxes or other trade barriers

3. The absence of trade-distorting policies (such as taxes, subsidies, regulations or laws) that give some firms, households or factors of production an advantage over others

4. Free access to markets

5. Free access to market information

6. Inability of firms to distort markets through government-imposed monopoly or oligopoly power

7. The free movement of labor between and within countries

8. The free movement of capital between and within countries

The Facebook Group page formed to celebrate and promote Free Trade Day can be found at
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=41784728508

In Liberty,

Dr. Tom Stevens
Founder
Free Trade Day

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