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# Mercantile Jealousy

## Definition

The competitive hostility and fear among merchants and manufacturers of different nations toward each other's commercial success, leading them to advocate for trade restrictions and monopolies that protect their own interests at the expense of overall economic efficiency.

## Source Chapter

Book IV, Chapter 3

## Context

Smith identifies this as a key obstacle to beneficial international trade, explaining how merchants exploit nationalistic sentiments to secure protective measures that ultimately harm both domestic consumers and the broader economy.

## Economic Domain

Regulation

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