John Prince-Smith (London, 20 January 1809 – Berlin, 3 February 1874) was an English-born, German free trade liberal and politician.

John grew up in British Guiana, then went to Eton in 1820, but after his father's death two years later, he found work in various jobs as an apprentice.

The (liberal) merchants in the port cities of Prussia suffered from the protectionist measures of the Zollverein, and Prince-Smith soon found himself politically involved, becoming one of the more outspoken proponents of Manchester capitalism free trade.

Prince-Smith believed protectionist tariffs to be harmful in general, and argued that worldwide free trade would lead to universal peace.

In 1860, at an economic conference in Cologne, the free trade movement was successful in getting essential reforms put forth to the Zollverein.