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Tariffs and trade wars: a history of economic warfare

Tariffs and trade wars: a history of economic warfare

Frank Trentmann explores the long history of economic warfare and considers whether today's tariffs are as historically unprecedented as we might think

Matt Elton

Published: April 2, 2025 at 9:00 AM

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Trade wars and tariffs have once again been making headlines in recent weeks, as US president Donald Trump's government adopts combative economic policies. But are such approaches really that unusual? Speaking to Matt Elton, Frank Trentmann looks back at centuries of economic warfare – and reveals the historical factors that have sparked it.

Authors

Matt EltonPodcast editor

Matt Elton is the podcast editor at HistoryExtra