Introduction: New Perspectives in Global Economic History

This article introduces the Special Issue of Revista de Historia Industrial – Industrial History Review ‘New Perspectives in Global Economic History’. First, it highlights the emergence of global perspectives and the rationale for comparative and connected approaches in economic history. Second, it outlines the trajectory of global economic history. Finally, it presents the four contributions to the issue. Through case studies centred on salt, raw cotton, ivory, and cotton textiles, the articles included in this Special Issue demonstrate the analytical utility of commodities in tracing global interconnections, the formation of labour and skills, and the circulation of knowledge across regions. Collectively, they underscore the potential of global economic history to reframe debates on long-term economic development.