From Envirowiki

A Free trade zone (FTZ) is essentially a small area in a country that is exempt from a large number of laws and regulations, in an attempt to attract business investment to a country. Usually, FTZs occur in poorer nations, where the people have less support (financial, or legal), if they dissent to such conditions. This allows large companies, usually from developed nations, such as those in north america, and europe, to exploit cheap labour without having to give anything back to the country.

Free trade zones are also known as "export processing zones" in some areas, where they are principally used to produce goods for export, such as brand name clothing. In some places, such as India, FTZs are called, somewhat euphemistically, Special Economic Zones (SEZs). Some of these, such as the Cochin SEZ, are in the process of displacing hundreds of thousands of people already living in extreme poverty.

[edit] 1 conditions

Laws and regulations that are often exempt in FTZs include environmental regulations (toxics dumping, pollution), and social laws, such as minimum wages, the right to unionise, and other work benefits that are the norm in more well-off areas.

These conditions mean that most people working in such zones work for a pittance, often well under the living wage, with little or no social security, or health care, and no right to free speech.

[edit] 2 bibliography

• Klein, Naomi. "No Logo".