Trade wars and tariffs are the normality of capitalism

Article originally published in Rizospastis, Organ of the CC of the KKE, on Thursday 10/4/2025. Translated by Nikos Mottas.

The fairy tales about a "peaceful" redistribution of the world, which flared up with Trump's election, the bargaining over Ukraine, and the ceasefire in the Middle East, have collapsed with a blast. Those who try to whitewash the imperialists with such lies and hide their irreconcilable rivalries under the carpet are shamelessly provoking the people.

Trump's tariffs analyzed from a class perspective

By Charles Andrews*

The key to a capitalist economy is the state of its capital accumulation. That goes for understanding tariffs in particular.

 — U.S. tariffs were successful in the late 19th century. Capital accumulation was vigorous, and tariff protection helped develop domestic industries.

 — The 1930 Smoot-Hawley tariffs certainly did not help when the boom of the 1920s had already collapsed into a deep depression. Capitalism cannot evade the law of the falling rate of profit; boom turns into bust.