Limits to Liberalization：Local Culture in a Global Marketplace

Theso-calledcultureindustries—film,televisionandradiobroadcasting,periodicalandbookpublishing,videoandsoundrecording—arenoteworthyexceptionstotherhetoricalcommitmentofWesterncountriestofreetradeasamajorgoal.Theseexceptionsthreatenedtoderailsuchhigh-profilenegotiationsasNAFTAanditspredecessor,theCanada-USFreeTradeAgreement,aswellastheUruguayRoundoftheGATT.Conventionalwisdomdidnotforeseetroublefromthissource,becausetheseestablishedindustriesarenotcommercialnationalchampions,noraretheyparticularlylargeprovidersofjobs.AsPatriciaM.Goffshows,thestandardtradeliteratureconsidersthemonetaryvaluebutdoesn'trecognizethesymbolicimportanceofculturalproduction.InLimitstoLiberalization,shetracestheinterplaybetweenthecommercialandthecultural.Governmentsthatwanttoexpandfreetrademaysimultaneouslyresistliberalizationinthecultureindustries(andelsewhere,includingagricultureandhealthcare).Gofftracestherationalefor"culturalprotectionism"inthetradepoliciesofCanada,France,andtheEuropeanUnion.Theresultisalargerunderstandingoftheforcesthatshapeinternationaltradeagreementsandabookthatspeakstocurrenttheoreticalconcernsaboutnationalidentityasitplaysoutinpoliticsandinternationalrelations.