According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, “Evidence from Europe and the United States shows that trade has increased inequality not just between workers of different skill levels, but also between those of different industries and those of different geographic regions. Growing import competition from China caused declines in both employment and wages for workers in trade-exposed industries and locations.”

These inequality effects also have spill-over to many other societal issues. The Institute for Fiscal Studies study also found that “Regions with greater exposure to import competition experienced higher crime rates, a deterioration of health outcomes, [and] a dissolution of traditional family structures.”

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