The concept of interdependence has been very difficult to define while its elements remained vague and ambiguous for a long time. Indeed, in the previous centuries, the scholar Emmerich de Vattel has observed the following in The Law of Nations of 1758: “Such is man’s nature that he is not sufficient unto himself and necessarily stands in need of the assistance and intercourse of his fellows, whether to preserve his life or to perfect himself and live as befits a rational animal … From this source we deduce a natural society existing among all men. The general law of the society is that each member should assist the others in all their needs, as far as he can do so without neglecting his duties to himself – a law which all men must obey if they are to live conformably to their nature and to the designs of their common Creator; a law which our own welfare, our happiness, and our best interests should render sacred to each of us. Such is the general obligation we are under of performing our duties; let us fulfill them with care if we would work wisely for our greatest good.” Despite all the attempts that were made to define the term interdependence, there are still too many controversies surrounding the concept up until now. This is particularly true from an economic perspective due to the occurrence of globalization in the last few decades which led to the globalization of production. Indeed, the production of any product no longer takes place in one country as plenty of states are involved in the manufacturing process which makes the task of defining or determining the elements of the interdependence concept extremely difficult. In the Chapter “Interdependence and WTO Law”, in the book “The Reform of International Economic Governance”, the author Chios Carmody examined this concept and the implications of applying the latter in the globalization era. According to the author “Production now takes place in immense, highly sophisticated supply chains that span the globe and ensure the smooth flow of product from input suppliers to the ultimate consumer.” For this reason, the attitudes of the retailers and clients had to change accordingly. In that sense, manufacturers have to adopt a more global vision when planning the development of their businesses in order to satisfy a huge number of consumers. This is why for instance, the way in which a pizza or a cappuccino is being served in Italy by a well-known company differs from the way that same pizza or cappuccino are being served in a country like China where the company would take other factors into consideration such as traditions and consumers tastes. At the same time, consumers expect to be able to buy a particular product even if it was not made in the same country where the consumers are residing. Taking all these factors into consideration, it becomes clear why the concept of interdependence is becoming more and vaguer.
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