How did Jean-Baptiste Colbert try to challenge Dutch commercial power?

Jean-Baptiste Colbert sought to challenge Dutch commercial hegemony by implementing a rigorous mercantilist policy designed to increase France’s share of international trade and reduce reliance on foreign goods. His strategy involved several key initiatives:1

• Industrial Development: Colbert encouraged the production of high-quality goods to compete with foreign products, invited skilled foreign workers to France, and established state-sponsored manufactures with strict quality regulations.1
• Trade Protectionism: He implemented protective tariffs against foreign produce, which aimed to shield national industry but ultimately triggered tariff warfare with other nations.12
• Merchant Marine and Monopolies: To reduce dependence on Dutch shipping, he promoted the building of a French merchant fleet and founded state-backed trading companies, such as the French East India Company, to secure monopolies in foreign markets.132
• Naval Expansion: As secretary of state for the navy, he worked to build a powerful fighting fleet to protect French commercial interests and colonial markets.32

These efforts were intended to keep wealth within France rather than paying it to the Dutch for imports.2