This report examines the various trade barriers that countries use to protect their domestic markets from foreign competition. Trade barriers are government policies and regulations designed to control or restrict international trade in order to safeguard local industries, employment, and economic stability.

The report mainly categorizes trade barriers into tariff barriers and non-tariff barriers. Tariff barriers include import duties and taxes that raise the price of foreign goods, making domestic products more competitive. Non-tariff barriers include measures such as import quotas, subsidies, licensing requirements, technical and sanitary standards, and anti-dumping duties. These tools are widely used by both developed and developing countries.

Using secondary data from reliable international sources such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and UNCTAD, the study analyzes trade policies of countries like the United States, India, China, and members of the European Union. The findings show that while trade barriers help protect local industries and jobs in the short term, they can also reduce competition, increase prices for consumers, limit innovation, and cause trade conflicts or retaliatory trade wars.

The report concludes that trade barriers are an important but sensitive economic policy tool. Their effectiveness depends on how carefully they are implemented. The study recommends using trade barriers in a balanced and transparent way, following international trade rules, and treating them as temporary measures while strengthening domestic competitiveness through innovation and development.