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International Trade vocabulary · Trade Agreements and Policy

Embargo

Meaning in international trade, with examples

/ɪmˈbɑːrɡoʊ/nounCommon term

In international trade, embargo means: An official order that stops or restricts trade with a particular country, or trade in particular goods.

In Turkish: ambargo, ticaret yasağı

How it is used

Imposed by a government or an international body, and later lifted. An arms embargo covers only weapons, while a full trade embargo covers most trade. Companies check embargo and sanctions lists before accepting orders for some destinations.

Example sentences

  1. Because of the embargo, the bank refused to process the payment.

  2. The embargo on these products was lifted after three years.

Common collocations

  • impose an embargo
  • lift an embargo
  • arms embargo
  • trade embargo
  • under embargo
  • export licenseAn official permission from a government that a company needs before it can export certain controlled goods, such as dual-use items, military goods or some chemicals.
  • non-tariff barrierAny obstacle to imports other than customs duties, such as quotas, licensing rules, technical standards or complicated paperwork.
  • WTOWorld Trade Organization: the international organization based in Geneva that sets the rules for trade between its member countries and helps settle trade disputes.
  • quotaA limit on the quantity or value of a product that may be imported or exported in a certain period.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Trade Agreements and Policy

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