
The trade and economy are no longer just tools for profit or peace and development; rather, they are being used as weapons of power and coercion
Noor Muhammad Marri Advocate | Islamabad
It has long been understood that trade is the only means that brings states closer to each other, resolves disputes, and strengthens global peace. That is why, at the international level, economic relations, free markets, and trade cooperation have been considered the foundation of peace. It was believed that if markets were left free, state borders did not become obstacles to trade, and business was promoted in every country, then conflicts would automatically end. This was the idea adopted by the modern world. However, current global reality challenges this optimistic view. The book Weaponisation of Everything clearly states that trade and economy are no longer just tools for profit or development; rather, they are being used as weapons of power and coercion. According to this book, all sectors once considered neutral—trade, financial systems, technology, energy, and information—have become the main battlegrounds of global power. In the economic field especially, trade has been turned into a weapon to such an extent that its effects are not less than those of a military war, yet this war continues without any official declaration.
In this new form of economic power, states use tools such as economic sanctions, trade barriers, control over capital flows, and access to global markets to maintain their dominance. As a result, trade becomes a source of conflict rather than peace. In this article, we will focus on this economic aspect to understand how trade is used as a weapon and what its consequences are.
Economic sanctions have become the most important weapon of powerful states in today’s global system. These sanctions are usually presented as a “peaceful” method, meaning to punish an enemy country or force it to change its policies without war. But in reality, sanctions are a form of economic warfare. When a country’s banking system, energy sector, or essential industries are sanctioned, the impact does not only fall on the government but also on ordinary citizens, the poor, and the youth. Inflation rises, jobs disappear, and despair spreads among people. As a result, political unrest grows within the country and pressure on the government increases. According to the book, sanctions are a “silent war.” This war is not won by bullets but by economic pressure. And because sanctions are described in legal and diplomatic language, it becomes difficult to recognize them as war. Yet when a country’s economy becomes paralyzed, the effects are no less than those of a war.
Trade wars have become common today. When two or more powerful countries impose taxes, tariffs, or other trade barriers on each other, the purpose is not merely to correct trade imbalance but to weaken the industrial growth and economic power of the opposing country. In this era, technology, semiconductors, energy, and essential industrial components are considered strategic assets. The country that controls them gains dominance at the global level. For example, if one country stops supplying essential industrial components or technology to another country, the industry, defense capability, and economic growth of that country are affected. In this way, trade is turned into a political weapon rather than a natural process.
Global supply chains have connected the world deeply. Today, every country’s industry depends on the raw materials, components, or technology of some other country. This dependence is a sign of cooperation on one hand, but on the other hand it has become a major risk. When a powerful country controls the supply chain, it can put pressure on other countries. The book clarifies that disrupting supply chains to weaken a country’s economy, affect its political sovereignty, and force it to change its policies is a new kind of war. Various methods are used to create disruptions in supply chains: export bans, quality standards, making licensing processes difficult, or turning a natural crisis into a political crisis. In this way, any country is forced to make its resources self-reliant to protect itself from interference in its internal affairs.
In the new war of economic power, the financial system plays the most important role. Controlling the global banking system, currency dominance, and the flow of capital is a powerful weapon for powerful countries. When a country is cut off from the international financial system, its economic structure is affected. This impacts not only trade but also the government’s ability to meet daily needs. According to the book, financial sanctions, removal from the SWIFT system, and limiting the banking system act like a weapon that breaks the enemy’s economy from within. This weapon is so powerful that its effects can be more lasting than military power because economic collapse leads to social instability, political crisis, and human suffering.
Today, many powerful states and international institutions attract developing countries through loans and investments. On the surface, this appears to be a source of development, but there is also a political motive behind it. Loan and investment agreements often contain conditions that limit the policies of the borrowing country. These conditions can sometimes go against national sovereignty. The book explains that pressuring a country politically through economic aid or investment is also a dangerous weapon of trade. When a country is kept in the grip of debt, it cannot make independent policy decisions. In this way, trade and investment take the form of a new colonial system where powerful countries seize the resources and markets of developing countries.
The biggest feature of economic warfare is that it targets ordinary people. In a military war, the target is mostly military or political leadership, but in economic sanctions and trade wars, the daily lives of people are affected. Food, medicine, electricity, fuel, and jobs are all impacted. This results in inflation, unemployment, and social unrest. In light of the book, it becomes clear that using economic weapons is also an ethical issue because it affects human rights and basic needs. But because this war is fought in legal and economic language, opposition to it is limited. Thus, powerful countries justify their goals as “legal” and “appropriate.”
When trade is used as a weapon, the principles and institutions of the global system weaken. Global trade organizations and laws remain effective when powerful countries respect them. But when major powers ignore rules for their own interests, trust is destroyed and the global system begins to break. This leads to global division, trade blocs, and the emergence of a new cold war. The book also warns that if trade continues to be used as a weapon of power, the prospects for global peace and cooperation will further weaken. Because fear, suspicion, and hostility will replace trade. Every country will move towards self-reliance for its survival, and global collaboration will weaken.
Using trade and economy as weapons is a reality that Weaponisation of Everything has described very clearly. The book tells us that the nature of war has changed in the modern world. Powerful states now fight not on military fronts but on economic, financial, and trade fronts. Trade has been turned into a political and economic weapon instead of a tool for peace and cooperation. If we truly want peace and development, we should not view trade only as a means of profit or growth, but also as a powerful political tool. And there is a need to strengthen global rules and regulations regarding its use so that trade serves humanity instead of becoming a source of war.
Read: Civilian Authority in a Security State
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Noor Muhammad Marri is an Advocate & Mediator, based in Islamabad



