Today’s North American Economic Nationalisum isn’t unprecedented it’s a pattern
Dr. Laurence B. Mussio & Dr. Marvin Suesse, Trinity College Dublin
Published in The Globe and Mail, 21 February 2025
In this piece Dr. Mussio and Dr. Suesse argue that the current rise of economic nationalism in North America, exemplified by U.S. tariffs and trade tensions, is not unprecedented but part of a recurring historical pattern. Since 1840, North America has experienced at least five major cycles of economic nationalism, often triggered by a combination of domestic political shifts, technological disruption, and geopolitical tensions. Today, the key difference is the deep economic integration between Canada and the U.S., making the stakes that much higher. However, it is clear that history also offers hope.
Image Credit: Carlos Osorio /Reuters