---
title: "Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act | European History 1890-1945"
description: "Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act: the 1930 U.S. tariff law that raised import duties, triggered retaliation, and deepened the Great Depression in Europe."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/europe-1890-1945/key-terms/hawley-smoot-tariff-act"
type: "key-term"
subject: "European History – 1890 to 1945"
unit: "Unit 9"
---

# Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act | European History 1890-1945

## Definition

The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act was a 1930 U.S. law that sharply raised import tariffs. In European History, it shows how U.S. protectionism helped spread and deepen the Great Depression across Europe.

## What It Is

The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act was a 1930 U.S. law that raised tariffs on thousands of imported goods, making foreign products much more expensive in the American market. In European History, it matters because it did not stay an American policy problem. It hit Europe at the exact moment when economies were already weak, trade was fragile, and governments were struggling to respond to the Great Depression.

The idea behind the law was protectionism. Supporters thought higher tariffs would shield American farmers and manufacturers from foreign competition, keep prices and wages steady, and preserve jobs during an economic crisis. That logic sounded appealing to people who wanted the government to protect domestic production first.

The problem was that trade does not happen in just one direction. When the United States raised barriers, other countries answered with their own tariffs. That retaliation made it harder for European exporters to sell goods abroad, which meant fewer orders, fewer jobs, and less money circulating through already stressed economies. Instead of one country protecting itself, a chain reaction spread through the world economy.

For Europe, this was especially damaging because many states depended on exports, international credit, and trade links that were already under pressure after World War I. The Depression was not caused by the tariff alone, but the law made the slump worse by cutting off markets and weakening confidence. Countries that had hoped to ride out the crisis through trade found those channels narrowing fast.

A useful way to think about Hawley-Smoot is as a policy that turned an economic downturn into a more international one. It shows how decisions made in the United States could affect factories, farmers, banks, and governments across Europe. In a 1890 to 1945 course, it is one of the clearest examples of how the Great Depression spread beyond Wall Street and became a global crisis.

## Why It Matters

This term matters because it connects the Great Depression to the larger interwar collapse of international cooperation. European History is not just about what happened inside each country, it is also about how economic choices crossed borders and changed politics.

Hawley-Smoot helps explain why the Depression became so severe in Europe. When trade contracts, governments lose tax revenue, businesses cut production, and unemployment rises. That economic pain fed public anger and made extremist and anti-democratic movements more attractive in several countries.

It also gives you a concrete example of protectionism in action. Instead of solving a crisis, high tariffs can shrink trade and encourage retaliation. That makes the term useful when you are tracing cause and effect in the interwar period, especially alongside the gold standard, war debts, and international banking networks.

If you are reading a source about the Depression or interwar instability, spotting this tariff law tells you that the crisis was not just about bad stock prices. It was also about policy choices that deepened isolation, weakened recovery, and made Europe more economically vulnerable.

## Connections

### Great Depression

The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act is one of the policies that made the Depression hit harder and spread farther. In European history, it belongs in the chain of events that turned a U.S. crash into a worldwide slump. If you see falling trade, layoffs, or bank trouble in interwar Europe, this tariff is part of the explanation.

### Protectionism

This tariff is a direct example of protectionism, the idea that a government should shield domestic industries from foreign competition. In the short term, that can sound like job protection. In the interwar period, though, it often backfired by prompting retaliation and shrinking the market for everyone.

### Tariffs

Tariffs are taxes on imported goods, and Hawley-Smoot is famous because it raised them on a huge scale. In European History, tariffs matter when you are tracing why countries traded less during the Depression. The law is a strong case study in how tariff policy can reshape international economic relations.

### [gold standard](/europe-1890-1945/key-terms/gold-standard)

The tariff law worked alongside other interwar pressures, including the gold standard. Together, these policies and systems made recovery harder by limiting flexibility and tightening economic connections in a bad way. When a question asks why the Depression spread so quickly, trade barriers and gold standard constraints often appear in the same answer.

## On the AP Exam

A quiz question might ask you to identify which policy worsened the global spread of the Great Depression, and Hawley-Smoot is the term you would name. In an essay, you might use it as evidence that the crisis was not only caused by the 1929 crash, but also by policy choices that cut international trade.

If you get a passage or chart about falling exports, retaliatory tariffs, or economic isolation in the 1930s, this term is a clue that you should connect domestic American policy to European unemployment and contraction. A strong answer usually explains the cause and effect chain: higher U.S. tariffs, foreign retaliation, less trade, and a deeper Depression in Europe.

## Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act vs Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act

These names refer to the same law. People often say Hawley-Smoot or Smoot-Hawley, but both point to the 1930 tariff act that raised U.S. import duties and worsened the Depression. If a question uses either wording, treat it as the same policy.

## Key Takeaways

- The Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act was a 1930 U.S. law that raised tariffs on thousands of imported goods.
- In European History, the law matters because it helped turn an American economic crash into a broader international depression.
- Its logic was protectionism, but other countries retaliated with tariffs of their own, which cut trade even more.
- The law made recovery harder for European economies that depended on exports, credit, and stable international markets.
- When you see the term in a question, connect it to the spread of the Great Depression and the breakdown of interwar economic cooperation.

## FAQs

### What is the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act in European History?

It was a 1930 U.S. law that sharply raised tariffs on imported goods. In a European History 1890 to 1945 context, it is used to explain how the Great Depression spread and worsened across Europe through reduced trade and foreign retaliation.

### Why did the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act hurt Europe?

European exporters lost access to the American market, and then other countries answered with tariffs of their own. That retaliation reduced trade, weakened recovery, and made unemployment and economic instability worse across the continent.

### Is Hawley-Smoot the same as Smoot-Hawley?

Yes. Both names refer to the same 1930 tariff law. Different textbooks and teachers may use either order, so you should recognize both as the policy that raised U.S. import duties and helped deepen the Depression.

### How do I use Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act in an essay?

Use it as evidence that the Great Depression spread through policy decisions, not just through the stock market crash. A strong essay can connect the tariff to retaliation, falling global trade, and the economic stress that shaped interwar Europe.

## Related Study Guides

- [9.1 Causes and Global Spread of the Depression](/europe-1890-1945/unit-9/global-spread-depression/study-guide/anYgToSs9tjxolOy)

## About This Document

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- [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing
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