This book aims to consider the role of import controls in an export-oriented development strategy, and is based on a case study of South Korea, widely regarded as one of the classic success - stories in this -respect. According to accepted wisdom, a strategy of export orientation should be predicated upon a liberal import regime. Trade controls should be avoided, as they give rise to a host of negative consequences. The South Korean experience is often held up as an empirical illustration of how liberal import polices constitute an integral part of export-oriented success.