Global Geopolitics invites submissions for a special issue examining the resurgence of protectionism as a dominant force in global trade and international relations. From escalating trade wars, sanctions, and other nationalist economic policies to the erosion of multilateral trade frameworks, protectionism is re-emerging as a key geopolitical challenge in an increasingly fragmented world. This trend resonates with historical precedents, from the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of the Great Depression era to mercantilist policies of earlier centuries, offering valuable opportunities for comparative analysis in the Trump era.

This special issue aims to explore the dynamics driving modern protectionism, its geopolitical implications, and lessons from past waves of economic nationalism. Contributors are encouraged to examine how protectionist policies are reshaping global power structures, economic alliances, and trade norms in both historical and contemporary contexts.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
- Theoretical Foundations of Protectionism: Revisiting the economic and
geopolitical rationales behind protectionist policies.
- Historical Waves of Protectionism: Comparative studies of economic warfare and
past protectionist periods, such as the interwar years or mercantilist policies of the
17th and 18th centuries.
- Protectionism and Geopolitical Rivalries: The role of trade restrictions and
sanctions in shaping modern power dynamics, including US-China economic
tensions.
- Economic Nationalism in a Multipolar World: How protectionism intersects with
shifting global power structures and emerging economies.
- Impacts on Multilateral Trade Systems: The challenges protectionism poses to
institutions like the WTO and regional trade agreements.
- The Return of Tariffs, Subsidies, and Sanctions: Case studies of contemporary
protectionist measures and their effects on domestic and global economies.
- Technological Decoupling as Protectionism: How policies targeting technology
sectors reflect a broader turn toward economic nationalism.
- Social and Political Dimensions: The rise of protectionist rhetoric in populist
movements and its influence on electoral outcomes.
- Environmental Protectionism: The use of trade policies to advance environmental
objectives and its geopolitical implications.
- Regional Case Studies: Protectionism in Asia, Europe, the Americas, and beyond,
highlighting unique drivers and consequences.
Protectionism and the Global South: The implications of trade barriers for developing countries and South-South cooperation.

We encourage submissions that blend theoretical insights with empirical analysis, providing nuanced perspectives on protectionism’s past and present. Papers that investigate underexplored regions or innovative methodologies are particularly welcome.

This special issue aims to deepen our understanding of protectionism as a recurring and transformative phenomenon in global geopolitics, offering insights into its causes, consequences, and future trajectories.