ABSTRACT
The problem in trade liberalization is that a country can control how fast to liberalize its imports but cannot determine by itself how fast its exports grow. Export growth partly depends on the prices of the existing exported products and also on having or developing the infrastructure, human and enterprise capacity for new exports. Developing countries must have the ability, freedom and flexibility to make strategic choices in finance, trade and investment policies, where they can decide on the rate and scope of liberalization and combine this appropriately with the defence of local firms and farms. And this is why there should be a freeze on further steps to impose more liberalization on developing countries through new issues or a new round in the World Trade Organization Seattle meeting. The multilateral trade system faces a crisis and a crossroads.
