We have touched upon a wide range of issues: on protectionism and managed trade, on recent macroeconomic development linked with new technologies, and on North–South interdependence via international financial markets, export strategies, arms trade, and resource pricing. Although the scope is broad, there have been a number of recurrent themes. In fact, there is a single theme that emerges strongly: that attention must be paid to domestic economic structures in order to ascertain the impact of international policies. Reciprocally, national economic policy must be responsive to the rapidly changing world economy.

Two particular features emerge from our analysis. One is economies of scale arising from new technologies in industrial countries. Another is the importance of technological dualism and labor supply conditions in determining domestic responses to export policies in developing countries. A consequence of these features is that certain conventional and widely adopted policies often have results that are quite the contrary of those intended. Examples are transfer policies and export promotion based on labor-intensive products in developing countries. Alternative policies are required in such cases, policies based on the strengthening of domestic markets. We have suggested general guidelines.

Economies of scale are reshaping the economic behavior of the industrial countries. In particular, they affect the stability of their markets, the possibility of smooth structural change, and the prerequisites of mutually beneficial and balanced international trade.