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Why did Colbert impose tariffs on foreign goods?

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Charles Le Brun: Portrait of King Louis XIV — Louis XIV *Portrait of King Louis XIV*, by Charles Le Brun, c. 1655.

Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the financial minister to Louis XIV, imposed tariffs on foreign goods as a core component of his economic policy, known as mercantilism. His primary objective was to increase French power by expanding the nation's share of international trade and reducing the commercial dominance of the Dutch.1

Colbert believed that protecting national industry and commerce was essential to this goal. By placing tariffs on foreign produce, he aimed to shield domestic manufacturers from outside competition while encouraging the production of high-quality French goods. This protectionist strategy was intended to foster internal economic growth and self-sufficiency. However, these measures triggered retaliatory tariffs from other nations, leading to a period of tariff warfare that served as one of the primary causes of the Dutch War (1672–78).1