Foreign Trade and Sustainable Development

Sustainable development and foreign trade are in a certain tension in the public debate. The general findings are not clear as to whether an increase in international trade would be detrimental to sustainable development or more favourable. In the analysis, the topic is restricted to agricultural goods, mineral raw materials, energy sources, wood, tourism and leisure industry, know-how transfer and environmental technologies. The available evidence from the international literature is reviewed and evaluated with regard to its relevance for Austria's foreign trade.