Commercial policy

Public finance
Policies Agricultural Economic Energy Industrial Investment Social Trade Fiscal Monetary Policy mix
Fiscal policy Budget policy Debt external internal Deficit / surplus Finance ministry Fiscal union Revenue Spending deficit Tax
Monetary policy Bank reserves requirements Discount window Gold reserves Interest rate Monetary authority central bank currency board Monetary base Monetary (currency) union Money supply
Trade policy Balance of trade Free trade Gains from trade Non-tariff barrier Protectionism Tariff Trade bloc Trade creation Trade diversion Trade / commerce ministry
Revenue Spending Non-tax revenue Tax revenue Discretionary spending Mandatory spending
Optimum Balanced budget Economic growth Price stability
Reform Fiscal adjustment Monetary reform

A commercial policy (also referred to as a trade policy or international trade policy) is a government's policy governing international trade. Trade policy is often described in terms of a scale between the extremes of free trade (no restrictions on trade) on one side and protectionism (high restrictions to protect domestic producers) on the other.

Trade policy covers tariffs, trade subsidies, import quotas, voluntary export restraints, restrictions on the establishment of foreign-owned businesses, regulation of trade in services, and other barriers to international trade.

A common commercial policy can sometimes agreed by treaty within a customs union, as with the European Union's common commercial policy and in Mercosur.