SA8000标准:人本主义还是新重商主义?

SA8000 Standard: Humanism or New Mercantilism?

SA8000 是发达国家制定的一种贸易标准,它以“社会责任”为名,标榜其“人本主义”特征,实际上却毫不顾及发展中国家的经济利益,是一种专门削弱劳动密集型产品价格优势的苛刻标准。SA8000标准具有合理与不合理的双重性。其合理性在于它蕴涵着人本主义因素,初步工业化国家可借此推进工业文明;其不合理性是该标准只对发达国家有利,新重商主义可借此攫取贸易利益,甚至以流通支配工业生产、进而干预一国政治经济的发展。正确辨析该标准的双重特性,有助于我们制定合理的对策,促进经贸的新发展。

SA8000 is a new trade standard recently formulated by the developed countries. It flaunts its “humanist” features in the name of “social responsibility.” In effect, it is a rigorous standard that especially impairs the price advantage of (labor-)intensive products, and it does not consider the economic benefits of the developing countries. The author argues that the SA8000 standard has a dual character of both rationality and irrationality. It is rational in that it contains a hu￣manist factor and the industrialized countries at an early stage can promote their industrial civilization. However, it is also irrational because it is only beneficial to the developed countries and the new mercantilism can take advantage of this standard to monopolize trade benefits, control the circulation of industrial production, and even interfere in the economic and political affairs of the involved countries. Therefore, a correct understanding of the SA8000 standard can help us formulate reasonable policies and further promote the development of economic and trade relations.