Import Bias, The Virus Killing Developing Nations

Import Bias, What It Is

Import bias is when a country relies heavily on imported goods, services, and resources. The main reasons always given are insufficient production of certain items is insufficient or less cost-effective than importing. And it adversely affects various sectors including manufacturing, agriculture, and technology. But below it all lays the monster octopus that supports the problem. The people.

The Third World

Third World is a famous word most people know refers to non-industrialized countries. And kingdoms of course. However, few people are aware that the word originated from the Cold War and was used to categorize countries that remained non-aligned with either NATO or The Warsaw Pact. Such nations formed the Non-Aligned Movement led by India and Yugoslavia. With time, the definition of evolved to what it currently is.

Dreams of The Third World

What is even the developing country’s dream? Go to primary school, make it to high school, and become an entomologist fighting insects in your meals, make it to university and later tarmac looking for a job. Eventually become an intern then gradually rise through the ranks and get an office girlfriend. She later moves in with you after discovering she is carrying your baby. Well, that’s but a slight analogy. Forget about it. Let’s focus on import bias and how it is killing the third world.

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Import Bias, The People

Developing country citizens have a fixation with anything that is not local. Most of them grow up with dreams of leaving their countries and going abroad. They are ready to buy faulty electronics just because the previous owners were white. All that is required to force their hands and buy items without haggling is to have it advertised thus: SONY 65-inch TV FOR SALE. TWO MONTHS OLD. EUROPEAN OWNED. Then words like UN expatriate, diplomat, or consular office are thrown in. They use the equation Expartriate+ White Person=Good. Very good. That explains the over-reliance on imported goods in the third world.

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Import Bias, The Virus.

Viruses are hard to deal with because they mutate. Import bias is quite the same, always presenting itself in different manners such that it becomes difficult to eradicate. Its crimes against developing countries are however unforgivable.

Import Bias, Crimes

A country that heavily imports agricultural products rather than developing its own agricultural sector is likely to face vulnerabilities related to food security and price fluctuations. Reliance on imported machinery and foreign technology affects third-world countries in matters of industrial competitiveness. Crimes committed by import bias can lead to trade imbalances in economic terms.

Import Bias, The Cure

Unlike HIV, Import bias is a virus whose cure can easily be found through sound policy-making and change of mindsets. Third-world countries ought to address import bias through trade policies, investing in domestic industries, quality assurance, and promoting self-sufficiency in critical areas. The citizens have to learn how to be proud of locally produced items. They have to come out and work towards producing locally with the right quality. One thing they ought to feature in their mindset is that their countries can just be as developed as the ones they rather migrate to if they worked towards achieving development.

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