Professional Development Seminar: What happened in the global trade war in the Great Depression? An historical perspective on Trump and tariffs

The global trade war in the 1930s: An historical perspective on Trump and tariffs

Currently there is concern that a global trade war might result from Donald Trump's protectionist policies. In this talk, Professor Borland will present an overview of a previous major episode of a global trade war - the rise in international trade barriers that occurred in the early 1930s. The talk will describe the origins of this episode and its consequences for international trade and cooperation; and will conclude with some analysis of parallels to the situation today. 

About the speaker

Jeff Borland is Truby Williams Professor of Economics at the University of Melbourne. His main research interests are the operation of labour markets in Australia, program and policy evaluation and design, Australian economic history, and sports economics.  Jeff was appointed a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia in 2002, and in 2010 was the Visiting Professor of Australian Studies at Harvard University. He currently teaches subjects on economic history, sports economics, and using evidence in public policy. Jeff publishes a monthly ‘Snapshot’ on the Australian labour market at:https://sites.google.com/site/borlandjum/labour-market-snapshots