Protectionism is a policy of restraining trade between countries through methods such as tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, and other government regulations designed to allow fair competition between imports and goods and services produced domestically. The doctrine of protectionism is opposite to the doctrine of free trade, when governments reduce as much possible the barriers to trade. In recent years, antiglobalization and antiimmigrant movements are manifestations of protectionism. The types of protectionist policies are discussed followed by the pros and cons of such policies and the history and current global trends. This entry examines protectionist policies, arguments for protectionism, and history and current trends.