UN General Assembly
1973

agricultural materials. Free trade is allowed between private importers who negotiate from a position of strength in a wealthy economy and private exporters who reflect the weakness of a poor nation. Private exporters in a poor country do not feel responsible for the welfare of their people. Their main interest is to maintain the highest possible margin between what they pay national producers or workers and the price they obtain from the foreign importers. As far as they are concerned, exporting is good business at any level of price or salary; and thus, unintentionally, they delay economic development and social improvement". 61. As long as international trade accentuates the impoverishment of the under-developed nations, it is indispensable that we continue to compensate for the imbalance by means of so-called foreign aid. Even if the terms of trade were to improve, it would still be necessary to give financial assistance to the developing countries to compensate them for the drain on their wealth during centuries of commercial exploitation.