Are free trade zones and alliances the answer to Trump's tariffs?

Temptation is to retaliate with trade barriers but most agree nations should focus on targeted trade pacts and strengthening cooperation

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, with one man in the foreground putting a hand over his eye
A trader at work in the New York Stock Exchange on 28 March during the escalating trade war brought about by President Trump's protectionist policies
(Image credit: Spencer Platt / Getty Images)

The idea that economic openness and trade could "foster peace and stability reigned supreme" for decades, said law and economics professor Armin Steinbach on The Conversation.

But Russia's invasion of Ukraine "shattered this way of thinking". New free trade agreements are far less frequent, while "protectionist measures have proliferated".

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Harriet Marsden is a writer for The Week, mostly covering UK and global news and politics. Before joining the site, she was a freelance journalist for seven years, specialising in social affairs, gender equality and culture. She worked for The Guardian, The Times and The Independent, and regularly contributed articles to The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The New Statesman, Tortoise Media and Metro, as well as appearing on BBC Radio London, Times Radio and “Woman’s Hour”. She has a master’s in international journalism from City University, London, and was awarded the "journalist-at-large" fellowship by the Local Trust charity in 2021.