Foreign trade is a key factor in the development strategy of Third World countries. The development of world trade as a whole has not, however, led to an improvement in the relative position of the developing countries. Despite efforts to promote and liberalize world trade, serious quota and tariff barriers in world markets—often a violation of the principles advocated and accepted in international forums on world trade—still exist for many Third World countries. Specific issues such as import controls, export subsidies, foreign trade and payments, negotiating strategies, and industrial protectionism are explored as are the broad theoretical aspects of the role of trade in Third World development.