Definition

Noun: A government-imposed regulation, policy, or restriction designed to limit or control the quantity, value, or type of goods and services that can be brought into a country from abroad. Its primary purpose is often to protect domestic industries from foreign competition.

Usage

An import barrier is a tool of trade policy. It is used to describe a specific measure that hinders the free flow of imports. * The country erected high import barriers to shield its nascent automotive sector. * Tariffs are the most common type of import barrier. * Negotiations focused on reducing non-tariff import barriers, such as complex licensing rules.

Advanced Usage

• "to impose/erect an import barrier": To establish or put a new barrier in place.
  • The government decided to impose an import barrier on foreign steel.
• "to lower/reduce/remove an import barrier": To decrease or eliminate an existing barrier.
  • The trade agreement succeeded in removing several key import barriers.

Variants and Related Words

• Trade Barrier (n): A broader term encompassing any restriction on international trade, including both import and export barriers.
• Tariff (n): A specific type of import barrier involving a tax or duty levied on imported goods.
• Import Quota (n): A direct numerical limit on the quantity of a specific good that can be imported.
• Non-Tariff Barrier (NTB) (n): An import barrier that is not a tariff, such as quotas, subsidies, complex standards, or administrative procedures.

Synonyms

• Trade restriction
• Import restriction
• Protectionist measure

Antonyms

• Trade liberalization
• Free trade policy
• Open market

Noun

1. any regulation or policy that restricts international trade