import
a good or service purchased abroad
export
a good or service sold abroad
trade balance
the difference between a country’s imports and exports
trade surplus
imports < exports
trade deficit
imports > exports
GDP
gross domestic product
free trade areas
geographic regions which facilitate international trade
protectionism
the policy of imposing duties or quotas on imports in order to protect home industries from overseas competition
tariff
a tax on imports
quota
a restriction on the quantity of goods that can enter a country
embargo
a total ban on the import of a good from a particular country
absolute advantage
the ability of a producer to produce more of a good than another producer with the same quantity of inputs
comparative advantage
the idea that producers should produce the goods that they are most efficient at producing
mercantilism
economic policy under which nations sought to increase their wealth and power by obtaining large amounts of gold and silver and by selling more goods than they bought
isolationism
economic policy of non-participation in international economic and political relations
commerce
the buying and selling of goods and services
market economy
economic system under which economic decisions are made by individuals or the open market
command economy
economic system under which the government controls a country's economy
trade company
company that links buyers and sellers in different countries
stock
partial ownership of a company