The state and international trade: technology and competitiveness

The pure theory of international trade is essentially a chapter of economics. It does not take into account the role of the state. Yet this role is crucial in contemporary capitalism. In the first section of this paper the basic trends of international trade are examined. In the second section some theoretical aspects of the evolution of the theory of international trade are discussed. The third section brings an analysis of the role of state in international trade and technological development. The paper concludes underlining the need of “reintroducing the state” into economics.

KEYWORDS:
Trade; industrial policy; interventionism