Here are some YouTube shorts covering aspects of trade protectionism.

Ever wondered why imported goods sometimes cost more? Let’s talk Import Tariffs — the tiny taxes that make a big impact on global trade! When goods cross borders, governments often charge a fee — called an import tariff. It’s paid by importers, but affects prices, industries, and even international relations!

Ever wondered why you can’t just import as much as you want?

That’s where import quotas come in! They’re limits set by governments on how much of a certain product can enter the country — creating a bit of artificial scarcity.

⚡ Example: If the government caps imports of electric cars from China at 100,000 per year, that’s all that can legally enter — no matter how many producers want to sell more!

🛡️ Quotas are often temporary shields, used to protect local industries from sudden floods of cheaper imports — like the EU’s steel import quotas that keep domestic producers competitive.

🌍 But they’re not just about imports — countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo are also using export quotas to control vital resources such as cobalt, essential for batteries and EVs.

⚠️ The catch? Quotas can provoke trade disputes and retaliation under WTO rules, since they restrict quantities much more tightly than tariffs.

Protectionism is a key area of debate in A-level international economics. In this short video, we examine the main arguments in favour of protectionist policies such as tariffs and quotas. You’ll explore how protectionism can help infant industries grow, safeguard domestic employment, reduce trade deficits, prevent dumping and raise government revenue. Using real-world examples and diagrams, including the role of import duties in countries like The Bahamas, this video shows how protectionist measures can be justified in certain circumstances. Ideal for revision, it helps you develop balanced analysis and evaluation for exam questions.

While protectionism can appear attractive, economists often argue it creates more costs than benefits. In this short video, we examine the main arguments against protectionist policies such as tariffs and quotas. You’ll explore how protectionism leads to higher prices for consumers, resource misallocation, deadweight welfare losses and reduced international trade. The video also explains the risks of retaliation and trade wars, as well as the regressive impact on lower-income households.