Governments often restrict imports to their nations for cultural motives-chief among them being protection of national identity. The political motives for the restriction of imports and exports include protection of domestic jobs, preservation of national security, responding to other nations' unfair trade practices, and gaining influence over other nations. The four most common instruments that governments use to promote trade are subsidies, export financing, foreign trade zones, and special government agencies . Governments restrict unwanted trade through tariffs, quotas, embargoes, local content requirements, administrative delays, and currency controls. The functioning of the global trading system is heavily affected by two organizations.
Governments intervene in the free flow of trade for cultural, political, and economic reasons.
Nations often restrict trade in goods and services to achieve cultural objectives-the most common being protection of national identity. Canada is also doing something similar. Many countries see U.S. culture as a threat to their own national cultures because of the global strength of U.S. companies in consumer goods and in entertainment and media. The main political motives behind government intervention in trade includes protecting jobs, preserving national security, responding to other nations' unfair trade practices, and gaining influence over other nations. Practically every government becomes involved in international trade when jobs in the domestic economy are threatened.