무역자유화와 산업구조조정/FTA 추진을 위한 특별입법의 필요성을 중심으로

Trade Liberalization and Industrial Restructuring: Needs for a Special Law on Promotion of Free Trade Areas(FTAs)

The trade liberalization promoted under the WTO regime as well as under many free trade area(FT A) arrangements requires opening of various sectors of national markets which were relatively closed to imports until then. From a macro perspective, such market opening would be generally beneficial to the nation as a whole. From the point of those industries in the national market which do not enjoy international competitiveness and face being displaced by imports, however, such market opening would not only be disruptive but also unfair in the sense that they alone are forced to bear the costs of market opening while the benefits thereof go to other industries and sectors. Existence of these so-called comparatively disadvantaged industries poses the most serious obstacle when a country pursues trade liberalization or market opening. What policy options, if any, are there to mitigate this problem? This is the issue being taken up in this article. Toward suggesting desirable policy options. the article first reviews precedents of EU and NAFT A. and then discusses various alternatives which may be employed to address the issue. It is argued that (i) an effective restructuring and phasing out of comparatively disadvantaged industries is essential to successful market opening: (ij) financial compensation by government for injuries of such industries is needed: and (iij) to enable such financial compensation. a special law is needed to be legislated. The article then discusses key issues which need to be addressed in such legislation.