A trade barrier is a general term that describes any government policy or regulation that restricts international trade. The barriers can take many forms, including:Import duties Import licenses Export licenses Import quotas Tariffs Subsidies Non-tariff barriers to trade Voluntary Export Restraints Local Content Requirements Most trade barriers work on the same principle: the imposition of some sort of cost on trade that raises the price of the traded products. If two or more nations repeatedly use trade barriers against each other, then a trade war generally agree that trade barriers are detrimental and decrease overall economic efficiency, this can be explained by the theory of comparative advantage. In theory, free trade involves the removal of all such barriers, except perhaps those considered necessary for health or national security. In practice, however, even those countries promoting free trade heavily subsidize certain industries, such as agriculture and steel. Examples of free trade areas are: North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), South Asia Free Trade Agreement(SAFTA), European Free Trade Association, European Union (EU), Union of South American trade barriers include differences in culture, customs, traditions, laws, language and barriers to trade are trade barriers that restrict imports but are not in the usual form of a are criticized as a means to evade free trade rules such as those of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the European Union (EU), or North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that restrict tariffs. Some of the common examples are anti-dumping measures and countervailing duties, which, although they are called "non-tariff" barriers, have the effect of tariffs but are only imposed under certain conditions. Their use has risen sharply after the WTO rules led to a very significant reduction in tariff barriers may also be in the form of manufacturing or production requirements of goods, such as how an animal is caught or a plant is grown, with an import ban imposed on products that don't meet the requirements. Examples are the European Union restrictions on genetically-modified organisms or beef treated with growth non-tariff trade barriers are expressly permitted in very limited circumstances, when they are deemed necessary to protect health, safety, or sanitation, or to protect depletable natural barriers to trade can be:State subsidies, procurement, trading, state ownership Occupational safety and health regulation Employment law Import licenses Export subsidies Product classification Quota shares Foreign exchange controls and multiplicity Over-elaborate or inadequate infrastructure "Buy national" policy. Intellectual property laws (patents, copyrights) Bribery and corruption Unfair customs procedures Restrictive licences Import bans Seasonal import regimes Trade BarriersExamples of Trade BarriersWhile trade barriers and unfair practices take many forms, the most common examples are listed below:Intellectual property infringement - including copyright, patent and trademarks. Customs procedures that are not uniformly applied Lack of competitive bidding for foreign government tenders. The application of direct or indirect subsidies by a foreign government in favor of domestic suppliers. Burdensome certification and testing requirements that are not required by domestic manufacturers. Influence pedaling - A corporate entity or country is interfering with fair trade practices at your expense. Bribery, corruption and requests for payoffs - When foreign bribery prevents you from competing fairly on the basis of price, quality or a Trade BarrierIf you feel your company’s exports or foreign bids have been, or may be adversely affected by a trade barrier or unfair business practice, you may file a complaint electronically with the Trade Compliance Center within the International Trade Intellectual Property Rights AbroadLearn what constitutes intellectual property and how to protect your rights domestically and internationally. Receive guidance on how to file patents, trademarks and/or copyrights in the . and Access to Foreign ContractsHow can I insure a fair bidding process on a foreign contract? If your company is bidding on a foreign contract the Advocacy Center can help level the playing Technical Barriers to TradeMember countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are required under the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) to report to the WTO all proposed technical regulations that could affect trade with other Member . is a free, web-based e-mail subscription service that offers an opportunity to review and comment on proposed foreign technical regulations that can affect your access to international Trade Agreements (FTA)Learn how Free Trade Agreements can benefit you and your business. Take advantage of our user guides sorted by title, service/goods industry, issue or country on the Free Trade Agreements website.