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This is already partially done with Automobiles, for example. Comply with local pollution and safety standards or a lucrative market is closed to your exports.


I think you mean that for example, the US pollution standard needs to be fulfilled by Volkswagen if they like to export VW cars to the USA.

However the OP meant more than that: that the VW workers, employed for example in Mexico, who assemble cars for US export would get the same worker rights as they would get in the USA.

And the same would hold for pollution at the factory and so on.


That would make things cost a lot more money.

The reality is much of our economy is built off the backs of essentially slave labor. And we're all guilty of benefiting from it.


In the short time, I agree with you. However, this also reduces the incentive to produce in a foreign country. Hence, this would even move many jobs back to the country where the consumers live. This in turn keeps the consumers' money in their country. Hence, their total wealth increases, largely already because the outflow of money is reduced. With more money available at the hands of the consumers, things don't need to be much more expensive than now.




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