What is Mercantalism?

Mercantilism is an economic theory that holds that a nation's wealth can increase when the government regulates the nation's wealth by maximizing exports and reducing imports. Mercantilism was developed in the 16th and 18th centuries. This economic theory maintains that the government should get more involved in international trade by regulating it benefit domestic or local products and businesses.

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How does Mercantilsm Apply?

According to mercantilist theorists, wealth is static, hence, nations can amass as much wealth as they can accommodate. The mercantilism theory is one that states that government should buy less from foreign countries and sell more of its products outside the country, that means, export rates should be higher than import rate. Although, it was between 16th and 18,th century that mercantilism was utilized, if started gaining prominence the 1500s. As an economic theory, it focuses on the impacts of government regulations on a nation's wealth. According to mercantilist theorists, favorable amount of wealth can be amassed by a nation through certain policies and regulations on trade. Government should facilitate trade with other nations in a way that will favor the export of domestic products more than the import of foreign products. Britain utilized mercantilism in the 17th century, so also nations like France, Portugal, and Spain. Aside from an increase in exports, a nation can also accumulate wealth by collecting precious metals, such as gold and silver.

The Underlying Principles of Mercantilism

Central to mercantilism is the belief that strong nations can accumulate wealth and create a world economy through regulations that will be favorable to local markets and domestic products. These theorists believe that since wealth is static, the level of supply of a nation determines its wealth. This means that high exports and reduced imports will translate into a buoyant balance of trade. Mercantilism is also based on the idea that the amount of precious metal (gold or silver) owned by a nation determines its economic well-being. Crucial to mercantilist theorist is the believe that every nation must strive for economic independence by having regulations that aid exports of goods. Nations should also promote agriculture because if there is enough food in the nation, there will be less import of foods. Mercantilism advocated increase in exports and decrease in imports and this led to the adoption of many trade restrictions in the British colonies. However, these trade restrictions are injected into the economy by a Mercantile minority who amassed wealth at the detriment of others in the community. This was highly unacceptable for the liberals minds, the interpretation of the German school of historical economists further worsened the matter. The trade restrictions that were developed as a result of mercantilism beliefs in the early British colonies only benefitted a minority, these trade restrictions were regarded as a conspiracy of a mercantile minority. This is contrary to belief of liberalists which led to certain reactions from historians in the English colonies.

Related Topics

• Trade Balance: Surplus and Deficit
• Mercantilism
• J Curve
• National Trade Data Bank
• Capital Account (Economics)
• Merchandise Trade Balance
• Current Account 
• Income Payments
• Unilateral Transfer
• Is it better to have a trade surplus or a trade deficit? 
• Export of Goods and Services and Percentage of GDP
• Heckscher-Ohlin Model 
• Linder Hypothesis
• The Balance of Trade as a Balance of Payments
• National Savings and Investment Identity
• Circular Flow of Money
• Financial Capital
• Supply and Demand Sides for Financial Capital? 
• Flow of Capital
• Domestic Saving and Investment Determine the Trade Balance
• National Savings Identity and Trade Deficits
• How the Business Cycle Affects Trade Balances
• Trade Balance or Trade Surplus
• Level of Trade
• Comparative Advantage
• Absolute Advantage
• Specialization and Gain from Trade
• Absolute Advantage in All Goods
• Production Possibilities Frontier and Comparative Advantage
• Comparative Advantage and Mutually Beneficial Trade
• Gain from Trade
• Opportunity Costs and International Trade
• Intra-Industry Trade
• Splitting Up the Value Chain
• How Economies of Scale Lead to Trading Advantages
• Protectionism
• Closed Economy
• Tariffs 
• Double Column Tariff
• Import Quotas
• Double Column Tariff
• Infant Industry Theory
• National Interest Argument
• Race to the Bottom
• Anti-Dumping Laws
• Dumping
• Trade War
• Race to the Bottom
• Non-Tariff Barriers
• Effects of Trade Barriers
• Who Is Benefited and Who is Harmed by Protectionism?
• Infant Industry Theory for Restricting Imports
• What is the Anti-Dumping Argument for Restricting Imports?

• Anti-Dumping Laws
• Dumping

• What is the Environmental Protection Argument for Restricting Imports?
• Race to the Bottom
• Unsafe Consumer Products Argument for Restricting Imports?
• National Interest Argument for Restricting Imports
• What is the WTO?
• What is the GATT?
• What are Free Trade Agreements?
• North American Free Trade Agreement
• Central European Free Trade Agreement
• General Agreement on Free Tariff and Trade (GATT)
• Common Market
• Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa
• Central American Common Market
• Caribbean Community and Common Market
• What are Economic Unions?
• WTO
• International Monetary Fund
• World Economic Forum
• Inter-American Development Bank
• Davos World Economic Forum 
• Chamber of Commerce
• Jackson Hole Economic Symposium