ABSTRACT
One of the oldest and most controversial features of internationalrelations is trade-the seemingly simple act of exchanging goods andservices between societies. On the one hand, international trade yields mutual benefits: It increases the diversity and quality of consumer goods and services, facilitates the diffusion of technology, provides jobs, and promotes efficiency. On the other hand, trade can also destroy national industries, displace workers, and threaten national culture and identity. Thus, international trade has been, and continues to be, a force that produces both cooperation and conflict between societies.
