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The Dutch East India Company
-The Dutch East India Company (also known as VOC) was formed, it was started in the Netherlands (known as the Dutch Republic at the time).
-Its purpose was to protect Netherland’s trade with India and also to provide aid during the Dutch war of independence against Spain.
-The company is considered to be the first multinational corporation in the world.
https://global.britannica.com/topic/Dutch-East-India-Company -
Bankruptcy of the Dutch East India Company
-The Dutch East India Company, which was used to be called the world's largest company, has declared bankruptcy.
-The fall of the company was partly caused by the rise of competitive free trade.
-The event made other businesses aware that even huge and successful companies like the VOC can also fall and die out.
https://global.britannica.com/topic/Dutch-East-India-Company -
The Cobden–Chevalier Treaty
-The Cobden–Chevalier Treaty was signed between the UK and France.
-It was a free trade agreement between both countries.
-The treaty was named after Richard Cobden and Michael Chevalier who were both the main contributor to the formation of the treaty.
-The treaty reduced the taxes and tariffs on products from both countries.
http://www.worldhistory.biz/modern-history/80048-cobden-chevalier-nbsp-treaty.html -
The Meiji Restoration
-The Meiji Restoration in Japan allowed Japan to open up their country for industrialization and to be able to trade.
-When Emperor Meiji was back in power in Japan, he changed the rules of the nation to open up Japan to the global trading scene.
-This event allowed Japan to rise in power as a military power due to the accelerated industrialization as a result of the restoration of the emperor.
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/japan_1750_meiji.htm -
The Bretton Woods System
-The Bretton Woods System was introduced, intended to stop wars and minimize depressions.
-The international monetary arrangement created the IMF and the World Bank, which created a system of, fixed exchange rates with the US dollar as the international currency.
-The system eventually ended on August 15, 1971, and was replaced by Richard Nixon’s New Economic Policy.
https://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/209/42675.html -
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
-23 countries agreed to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) to regulating international trade among the various countries.
-The purpose of the agreement was to reduce tariffs and other trade barriers so that all nations involved benefited mutually.
https://global.britannica.com/topic/General-Agreement-on-Tariffs-and-Trade -
The European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
-The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) was founded by Austria, Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
-The organization’s purpose was to allow the countries within the organization to have free trade as well as build partnerships and closer economic cooperation.
http://www.efta.int/about-efta/european-free-trade-association -
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
-The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is an agreement between Canada, the U.S, and Mexico.
-The agreement sets up rules and regulations for international trade and investment.
https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements/free-trade-agreements/north-american-free-trade-agreement-nafta -
The World Trade Organization (WTO)
-The World Trade Organization (WTO) was created for the purpose to supervise and promote free trade between the numerous countries.
-The organization handles the regulation of trade between all the participating countries.
-The organization created new partnerships between countries and created more trading opportunities for the participating nations.
https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/whatis_e.htm -
ASEAN–China Free Trade Area
-The ASEAN–China Free Trade Area is a free trade area between China and the ten members of the ASEAN, including Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
-The free trade area is the actually the largest populated free trade area and has the third highest nominal GDP.
-The agreement has created closer bonds among the nations who are in the agreement.
http://www.asean.org/storage/images/2015/October/outreach-document/Edited%20ACFTA.pdf