自由还是保护:19、20世纪英国围绕关税与贸易问题的争论

Freedom or Protection:the Debate Around Tariffs and Trade in 19th and 20th Century Britain

19世纪至20世纪初,英国出现了两次围绕关税与贸易问题的大争论,两次争论都围绕着贸易保护与自由贸易问题展开。争论中,双方各持己见,持贸易保护观点的一方认为,英国实行贸易保护、设置关税壁垒有利于保护本国经济不受外来经济的侵扰,进而有利于促进本国经济的发展;主张自由贸易的一方则认为,随着英国工业革命的进行,英国对国际商品市场和廉价原料的需求越来越迫切,而实行自由贸易、减少甚至取消关税壁垒更能促进英国经济的发展和国际地位的提升。两次争论的结果最终均以自由贸易的胜利而告终,由两次争论可见,一国贸易、关税政策的选择与该国的国内国际形势、国家利益集团、政党及大众舆论等密切相关。

In the 19th and early 20th centuries,there were two major debates on tariffs and trade in Britain,both of which revolved around the issue of trade protection and free trade.In the debate,both sides held their own views.The side that held the view of trade protection believed that the implementation of trade protection and tariff barriers in Britain would help to protect the country's economy from foreign economic intrusion and thus help to promote the development of the country's economy;the side that advocated free trade believed that,with the industrial revolution in Britain,Britain's demand for international commodity markets and cheap raw materials became more and more urgent,and that the implementation of free trade and the reduction or even elimination of tariff barriers could better promote the development of the British economy and its international status.Both arguments ended with the victory of free trade,which shows that the choice of trade and tariff policy of a country is closely related to its domestic and international situation,national interest groups,political parties and public opinion.