The greater the role of the state, the less market oriented the economy and the less business
interests are likely to be consulted. The degree of business involvement also
depends on the country’s administrative culture and the style of political
decision-making. As economies open up and political systems become more
pluralistic, business interests will usually have greater incentives and
opportunities to express their views.
ITC encourages trade support
institutions to become actively involved in consultations, and encourages
policy-makers to engage in a two-way dialogue.
The objective is to improve both the
quality of trade policy and to ensure that it is acceptable to stakeholders.
Many countries have created a formal structure of general and issue-specific
advisory bodies that institutionalize the exchange of information between the
business community, other interest groups and the government. In other nations,
business and government interactions are ad hoc in nature and may even be limited
to a small elite with preferential access.
From the business perspective, advocacy objectives in trade policy may be classified
under the following headings: shelter, including special privileges and government support; improved competitive position in domestic and export
markets; and defence to counterbalance pressure of other interest groups.
A full
explanation of all of the ways business can influence trade policy can be found here (LINK TO business_advocacy.pdf)