mercantilist

[mur-kuhn-til-ist, -teel-ist, -tahyl-ist]

adjective

1. supporting or reflecting the mercantile system; promoting economic protectionism or the aggressive pursuit of a favorable balance of trade.

2. embracing the attitudes and values of commercialism.

noun

1. a person who favors the principles of the mercantile system.

2. a person who embraces the attitudes and values of commercialism.

Example Sentences

China has mastered the art of delay diplomacy: when pressure mounts, it promises “dialogue and cooperation,” only to resume its mercantilist playbook once the threat recedes.

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Despite all the costs entailed in the transition, industrial technology and the market system accomplished what no benevolent king’s redistribution, no loving bishop’s charity, no mercantilist’s protectionism and no powerful guild ever did.

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White House officials spoke of using America’s economic might to move China away from what they regarded as a mercantilist trade policy that privileged exports, subsidized manufacturing and discouraged its own 1.4 billion people from spending.

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The upending of the international order of trade and finance, the wrenching down of immigration flows, mercantilist trade policies and the U.S. government’s increasing interest in the economic affairs of leading U.S. companies could serve as impediments to growth while keeping inflation above the Fed’s 2% target.

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Meanwhile, Japan and the U.K. are accommodating America’s mercantilist behavior.

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