Global trade has been increasingly vilified over the past five years from the global leaders to the distant emerging markets. This criticism comes with many unflattering labels: from isolationism to protectionism to nationalism. All are either direct result or inevitable consequence of the same preoccupying belief that trade is in some way undermining the health of an individual economy to benefit the many.
Yet, history does not bear out this scourge. While there are certainly periods of adjustment and bouts of economic underperformance depending on the cycles and political circumstance, the long-term trend marches tenaciously towards collective growth.
Trade War & Events 1900 – Present
In this report, we look at some of the key events that have promoted and stymying global trade from 1900 to the latest US China Trade War. From World Wars to multi-national trade deals to financial crises, the world winds its way towards an inevitable, shared expansion. The favorable winds can be measured in the amount of total exports recorded, the strength of global growth and the value of its combined financial assets. Below, we break this wide range of history into four unique periods. The more recent the period the shorter the spans covered as the ultimate influence of the events in this period are still uncertain. We split this total period into periods of 1900 to 1950; 1951 to 1900; 1991 to 2007; and 2008 to present (2018). Trade War & Events 1900 – 1950
History 1900 to 1950: The first half of the 20th century was one of destruction and rebirth. Two world wars were waged with a ‘Great Depression’ in between. After the economic blight, however, efforts to forge trade pacts in order to avoid future
