Historical Implications of the Spice Trade of European Powers during the Age of the Great Voyage

Abstract

This study focused on the spice trade that originated from the Age of Discovery. From a macro perspective, the purpose was to present meaningful implications that can actively respond to today's rapidly changing international trade environment and that can be used as a reference for national policy trade trends. Compared to the Age of Exploration, today's international trade focuses on securing advanced technology and protecting resources and outwardly promotes free trade, but in reality, protectionism is the basis of national policy. Like spices, the complementary relationship between resources and technology means that economic benefits cannot be secured through monopoly or domination by one party alone, but can be secured from added value through mutual complementation or combination. This perspective is the main cause of today's changes in the international trade environment, which is developing as an appropriate mixture of protectionism and free trade policy. The struggle for control over trade routes and spices, which was the cause of the fierce wars among European countries, went beyond the preservation of commercial interests to meet consumption demands, and now the added value created by the fusion of resources and technology is not only the purpose of diplomacy, but also the top priority. This suggests that it should become a national policy.