The Hawley-Smoot Tariff helped spread the economic depression to other countries because it: A. led to higher interest rates. B. decreased global trade. C. led to lower interest rates. D. increased global trade.

## Step 1<br />The Hawley-Smoot Tariff, also known as the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, was a United States federal law passed in 1930. This law raised U.S. tariffs on over 20,000 imported goods to protect American farmers and manufacturers. <br /><br />## Step 2<br />However, this law had a negative impact on the global economy. It led to a decrease in global trade as other countries retaliated with their own tariffs. This resulted in a significant reduction in international trade, which in turn worsened the economic depression.<br /><br />## Step 3<br />The other options, such as leading to higher or lower interest rates, or increasing global trade, are not directly related to the effects of the Hawley-Smoot Tariff. The primary impact of this law was on global trade, not on interest rates or the volume of global trade.