3 November 2006 - The docking of the world’s largest container ship - the Emma Maersk - at Felixtowe, bearing Christmas gifts made in China, symbolises the juggernaut of economic globalisation and the increasing dominance of Chinese exports made cheap by poor labour and environmental standards, Green MEP Caroline Lucas has said.

The real beneficiaries of increased EU-China trade are not Chinese workers, but trans-national corporations, she added.

Dr Caroline Lucas, Green Party MEP for South East England, a member of the European Parliament’s Environment Committee and cross-party Consumer Protection group and a Director of the International Forum on Globalisation, said:

“The global rules governing free international trade are based on a fallacy: that countries enjoy comparative advantages in one sector or another, due to particular skills or access to resources, and if they specialise in those areas, everyone will benefit.

"China increasingly has an absolute advantage in many areas of economic activity, based on a combination of artificially low labour costs (since its non-unionised work force face low pay, long hours, and safety laws are routinely violated) and increasing expertise in hi-tech areas.

"Its rapidly-growing trade with the EU is having a significant impact on job security, while its ruthless competition with other developing countries on products like textiles and footwear is driving down  social and environmental standards right across the world.

"The beneficiaries of this are primarily transnational corporations, not the Chinese workers who, as well as suffering from some of the worst labour exploitation in the world, are themselves also losing jobs at a phenomenal rate.

"We urgently need to reassess the role of international trade in our economies, and look at where we can produce more of our goods closer to home.  On the day that the Stern report is published, it’s clearer than ever that the environmental costs of long-distance trade need to be properly taken into account."

She added: "We must manage international trade in a way which is socially and environmentally sustainable, working towards global agreement on a raft of measures such as taxation on fuel, and import tariffs designed to support home-grown businesses and offset the environmental damage caused by ships like the Emma Maersk plying international waters filled with MP3 players and plastic toys.”

ENDS