Supply and Demand

 Word count: 619

Supply and Demand

Human trafficking is the third largest international trade in the world; follow by illegal drug trade and arm trade. Human trafficking occurs in factories, fields, and mines, in offices, restaurants, and homes, and on the streets of nearly every country in the world. There are 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international border annually. There are 2.5 million of people being trafficked around the world by human trafficker in any given time. Human trafficking has been skyrocketed in the past few years. Human trafficking is a multi-billion enterprise. According to ILO (International Labour Organization) it can make approximately 32 billion profit per year, which is more than Nike, Google and Starbucks combine. How come human trafficking is one of the biggest industries in the world nowadays? Why is human trafficking growing exponentially? The reason why human trafficking is growing bigger is due to demand of the consumer and employer.

For instance, in China there is more man than women due to the one child policy. Every 117 man in china; there are 100 women. By the time it goes to 2020, there will be 30 million single Chinese man facing “ bride shortage” against 24 million woman. Therefore, the market of human trafficking emerged. Lots of Chinese men started to get bribe from Southeast Asia. Particularly Kachin women have become the target for the trafficker. Since they are a profitable source for the trafficker. The highest price for a Kachin wife is up to 6500 dollars. Therefore, Chinese businessman will be the typical buyer. This example exemplified that because the demand of wife from the consumer urges the human trafficking industry.

Yet, the human trafficker still aren’t satisfy, they found out that average Chinese worker couldn’t afford high price Kachin woman. Therefore, human trafficker decided to offer these average Chinese men women from Myanmarese families struggling on a dollar a day. Furthermore, buyer usually pays 150 dollars or even less as the dowry for the wife’s family. This example demonstrates that the fact that consumer wanted a bride but a cheaper one led to the prosperity of human trafficking industry.

Another example that demonstrate that the demand of consumer promote human trafficking industry is that there are human trafficker traffick children to Thailand. Usually these children have been rented out from their parent. Three months old toddler to ten years old is the typical age to be rent out, since the employers believe they are the most appealing in that age. Brokers generally offer 100 to 224 dollars a month for their children. Yet, a children could make 15 to 100 dollars a day which is why this is so tempting for the buyer, since buyers have high returns. Because of the high returns that buyer can get, they are more likely to employ (rent) a child rather that an adults. This is exactly why human trafficking making mass amount of profit out of the consumer.

This is like the ongoing cycle, due to the demand of consumer; the traffickers supply these human resources to the buyer. The unwillingness of buyer paying minimum wage to an adult makes the human trafficker find the opportunity to make profit out of it. The unbalance of boys and girls in china led to more purchase of foreign bride. People who can’t afford expensive bride can still purchase cheap bribe from some poor family who can hardly made a dollar a day. Overall, the only way to prevent children from working nonstop for the employer or the bride getting beat up or disrespect by her husband is all depend on the buyer action. If the buyers stop showing demand of cheap labor or bride, human trafficking will inevitably discontinues.

MLA citation:

Carasso, S. C.. N.p.. Web. 11 Nov 2013. <http://fightslaverynow.org/why-fight-there-are-27-million-reasons/economics-and-human-trafficking/>.

 “UN Says Human Trafficking Appears To Be Worsening” Radio Free Europe., February 13, 2009

<http://www.rferl.org/content/UN_Says_Human_Trafficking_Appears_To_Be_Worsening_/1492561.html>

Asma, Masood. Foreign Policy Journal, 06 Jul 2013. Web. 11 Nov 2013. <http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2013/07/06/the-economics-of-human-trafficking/>.