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This is an article of interest because it hits on a variety of things that we have and are continuing to study: import tariffs, the WTO, global trading in general, and the effects that each nation's actions have on one another.

This article raises awerness of the potencial risks that protectionism polices, import tariffs in this case, might have on the economy. If the WTO talks fail and Ukraine increases import tariffs it could have huge consequences with its trading partners as the local firms of the trading partners will suffer heavy losses, potencially leading to that specific export sector closing, which in time would effect the economic growth of the exporting country/countries. That is why there always has to be a balance with protectionism policies, iit must both benefit the importer and exporter

It is an article about the government of China that has decided to impose a 6.5% tariff on materials from most U.S. polysilicon suppliers. A tariff is a tax that is charged on imported goods. The Chinese government decide to impose this tariff in order to prevent dumping from USA. Dumping is the selling by a country of large quantities of a commodity, at a price lower than its production cost, in another country. However it is difficult to deduce if this tariff is imposed to prevent dumpling or if it is a revenge for the tariff that the USA government imposed Chinese-made solar cells one year ago. I think that the Chinese government should talk first with the USA government because protectionism is a very dangerous weapon because it often invite to retaliatory actions. This may reduce the benefits that can be gained from international trade by all consumers and producers in all countries.

Recently the European Union has imposed a tariff on U.S. ethanol on the account of dumping. Dumping in international markets occurs when a country exports a good or service at a price that is lower in the foreign market than the domestic market. With a duty of $83.20 per metric ton, this tariff will cost exports more than $930 million per year. Tension has been building as there is a strain in transatlantic trade due to this implementation of a protectionism technique.

The leaders of the Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Chile recently announced that they are finishing up their negotiations about the removal of the trade tariffs. The tariffs will be removed from 92% of goods, with most of the remainder disappearing over the next few years. Such legislation is expected to encourage a free trade between the countries of Latin America and be an example for the rest of the world. Ministers are seeking to push free market policies to spur growth, attract more foreign investment and integrate their capital markets and energy networks. Overall, free trade between the listed above four countries will result in lower prices of goods and services, better allocation of the resources and close cooperation of the economies.

This is a perfect example of how a Latin American bloc that includes Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Chile on Thursday agreed to eliminate tariffs on most goods to promote free trade between the countries and increase exports to Asia. This is what the actual purpose of trade blocs are meant to achieve, an increase in the GDP of the country that will encourage better living standards and ways of life. The presidents of the four countries decided to remove tariffs on 90% of all goods and to eliminate duties on the remaing 10%. Increasing profits consequently leading to growth.

The japanese government has started to consider removing tariffs from imported wine. This would mean other negotiatiors in the Trans-Pacific Partnership would also have to consider scrapping the tariffs on wine. The government believes that removing tariffs would greatly benefit the domestic consumers while also increasing sale exports from Japan. It will be interesting to see what Japan decides to do as it will have a great effect on the Japanese economy.

South Korea has been accused of dumping its washing machines by the United States. This is in response to a complaint by an American manufacturer "Whirlpool" who has voiced for a tariff to protect its products. South Korea is to appeal to the World Trade Organization. the chief aim of Korea's complaint is in the way in which the US calculates dumping.

China, the world's top wheat and rice consumer, will issue the same tariff import quotas for grains and cottons in the year 2014 as they did in 2013. The wheat import quotas are at 9.6 million tones, corn at 7.2 million tones, rice at 5.3 million tones, and cotton at 894,000 tones. The low tariff-rate is 1 percent while grains imported without the quota allocation would be charged a 65 percent import duty.The tariff import quotas is imposed in the hope to help chinese farmers and to also levy high import duties on agriculture products. However, due to its agreement with World Trade Organization, China is still obliged to allow imports with lower duties. This article clearly connects to the topic of protectionism. Here, the Chinese government hopes to help its domestic agriculture industry by limiting imports. This imposition of quotas will lower the imports which would increase the amount of local production, therefore increasing more revenue for the domestic producers. Here, we can also see the role of WTO arranging trade among countries. Here the obligations create equality between China market and its import countries.

This is an interesting article as it sheds some light on the hindrances on forming a trade union. There is a discrepancy between the wants of both party. The EU asks for lower tariffs on automobiles, wines and also higher FDI, yet India demands greater access for Indian professionals in markets of the member countries.

This article talks about the negotiations between China and the EU. The concern of the two countries is about the Chinese exports of solar panels to the EU. The representatives of the EU consider the Chinese exports of solar panels as dumping, because of the lowered costs.To prevent the uncompetitiveness of other producers, the EU had to set tariffs of nearly 50 percent on Chinese solar panel shipments. That caused a discontentment from Chinese side, because the exports of solar panels is one of the largest categories of Chinese exports and worth about $27 billion a year.

This is a perfect example of how protectionism policies are put to effect. This article talks about how protectionism policies in the EU have to increase in order to protect the fragile recovering economies. It states that there were about 150 new protectionism policies introduced last year nad 18 measures have been dismantilled. "All of us need to stick to our pledge to fight back against protectionism. It is worrisome to see so many restrictive measures still being adopted and virtually none abolished," said EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht. Trade protectionism was also an important point raised in the G20 Summit taking place in Saint Petersburg on 5 and 6 September 2013.

This article talks about how members of the WTO have a possitive view towards Japan because they didnt apply protectionism policies even though their situation was critical at a certain point. Japan would have not been able to go through all the issues that have affected the country in the past few years if it wasn't for taking the right decissions. In order to boost up the economy, and local producers the government did not intervene so there would still be competition from international producers thus encouraging local producers to work hard to improve the quality of their goods and recover as quick as possible from the natural and economical catastrophes the country has gone through.

Here we have a great article about protectionism and export subsidies in China. Export subsidies are often used by governments to increase exports. Export subsidies have the opposite effect of export tariffs because exporters get payment, which is a percentage or proportion of the value of exported. Export subsidies increase the amount of trade, and in a country with floating exchange rates, have effects similar to import subsidies. If China continues with high export subsidies they will probably invite retaliatory actions by foreign governments what reduces the benefits that can be gained from international trade by all consumers and producers in all countries