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The negative externalities created by the environmental impact of fast fashion in both the packaging waste to the eventual disposal of these not-so-durable, trendy items makes the matter so much bigger than just trade. I will use this as an opening classroom discussion to see how my often environmentally minded students regard the trade offs at play, here.

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Great article! Trade policy is very complex. (I've never really liked the 'free trade' question economists are asked because trade is so much more than just tariffs).

In trade we also often don't focus on the impacts on the counterparty country (as you mention labor practices).

Another interesting example of this - was the fish market. I wrote about it in the context of shrinking US fisheries that cannot compete with foreign fisheries, which is often driven by different environmental standards. This results in potentially an inferior environmental outcome.

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