Was a trade policy adopted by many low- and
middle-income countries before the 1980s and is the
policy aimed to encourage domestic industries by
limiting competing imports.
Countries may have a potential comparative
advantage in some industries, but these industries
cannot initially compete with well-established
industries in other countries.
Problems with the Infant Industry Argument
1. It may be wasteful to support industries now that will have a comparative advantage in the future.
2. With protection, infant industries may never “grow up” or become competitive.
3. There is no justification for government intervention unless there is a market failure that prevents
the private sector from investing in the infant industry.
Infant Industries and Market Failures
1. Imperfect financial asset markets
2. The problem of appropriability
Import-Substituting Industrialization
It involved complex, time-consuming regulations. It set high tariff rates for
consumers, including firms that needed to buy imported inputs for their
products. It promoted inefficiently small industries.
Trade Liberalization
Some low- and middle-income countries that had relatively free trade had higher average economic
growth than those that followed import substitution.
Trade liberalization in developing countries occurred along with a dramatic increase in the volume
of trade.
A number of developing countries have achieved extraordinary growth while becoming more, not
less, open to trade.