International trade games teach economic theory, illustrate the work of organizations, and clarify economic decisions. They cover fair trade, global financial markets, and problems caused by international trade. Games allow students to participate in economic decisions and see the consequences and reactions of others. Examples include Trading Around the World and the World Trade Game. Materials are available for teachers to design their own games.
International trade games may be designed to teach an economic theory of international trade, to illustrate the work of a particular international organization, or to clarify the economic decisions countries need to make. International trade games were created to stimulate reflection on topics such as fair trade, the position of Third World farmers, the bargaining power of multinationals or the effects of globalisation. International trade games can be about international trade in a particular industry or commodity, such as coffee or grain trading, helping participants understand the issues. Games have also been designed to help students understand global financial markets. Some games are designed to be played in the classroom by a number of different players, while others can be played online by one person.
International business games can be designed to teach business in primary or secondary schools, for students or for people involved in development or other non-governmental organization (NGO) activities. They can be aimed exclusively at teaching particular aspects of international trade, or games can be invented to highlight some problems caused by international trade. Advocates of a particular strategy, such as fair trade, can design a game to illustrate the effectiveness of their strategy and show how it works in practice. Materials are available from some organizations to enable teachers and lecturers to design their own international commercial games to illustrate the points they make in their courses.
International trade games work by allowing students to participate in economic decisions, seeing the consequences of those decisions and the reactions of other players. Games are an ideal medium to show how theories of international trade work. For example, the theory of comparative advantage can be illustrated by a game that regulates the resources available to each player, so that he can maximize his wealth by making the best use of the resources available to him. More complex theories of international trade have also been illustrated by trading games.
The Trading Around the World game is an example of a game that aims to illustrate the conditions of international trade. This online game introduces some problems in international trade which have been addressed by the work of the International Monetary Fund. The online World Trade Game looks at the relationship between international trade and economic development and is intended to stimulate discussion about the world trading system. Another international trade game available online from 2011 examines the relative negotiating positions of industrialized, middle-income, and low-income countries.
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