trade follows the flag
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Wherever the flag flies trade with the mother country springs up and prospers.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “trade follows the flag” mean?
Wherever the flag flies trade with the mother country springs up and prospers.
Is “trade follows the flag” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.