embargo

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(ĕm-bär') pronunciation
n., pl., -goes.
  1. A government order prohibiting the movement of merchant ships into or out of its ports.
  2. A prohibition by a government on certain or all trade with a foreign nation.
  3. A prohibition; a ban: an embargo on criticism.
tr.v., -goed, -go·ing, -goes.
To impose an embargo on.

[Spanish, from embargar, to impede, from Vulgar Latin *imbarricāre, to barricade : Latin in-, in; see en-1 + Vulgar Latin *barricāre, to barricade (from *barrīca, barrel, barrier , from *barra, bar, barrier).]



has the plural form embargoes.

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Legal action by a government or group of governments restricting the departure of vessels or movement of goods from some or all locations to one or more countries. A trade embargo is a prohibition on exports to one or more countries. A strategic embargo restricts only the sale of goods that make a direct and specific contribution to a country's military power; similarly, an oil embargo prohibits only the export of oil. Broad embargoes often allow the export of certain goods (e.g., medicines or foodstuffs) to continue for humanitarian purposes, and most multilateral embargoes include escape clauses that specify a limited set of conditions under which exporters may be exempt from their prohibitions. An embargo is a tool of economic warfare that may be employed for a variety of political purposes, including demonstrating resolve, sending a political signal, retaliating for another country's actions, compelling a country to change its behaviour, deterring it from engaging in undesired activities, and weakening its military capability.

For more information on embargo, visit Britannica.com.

government prohibition against the shipment of certain goods to another country. An embargo is most common during wartime, but is sometimes applied for economic reasons as well. For in stance, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries placed an embargo on the shipment of oil to the West in the early 1970s to pro test Israeli policies and to raise the price of petroleum.

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n

Definition: prohibition
Antonyms: allowance

n. pl. -oes 1. an official ban on trade or other commercial activity with a particular country: an embargo on grain sales | the oil embargo of 1973.

2. an official prohibition on any activity.

3. an order of a state forbidding foreign ships to enter, or any ships to leave, its ports.

v. -oes, -oed

1. (usually be embargoed) impose an official ban on (trade or a country or commodity): the country has been virtually embargoed by most of the noncommunist world.

2. officially ban the publication of: documents of national security importance are routinely embargoed.

3. archaic seize (a ship or goods) for state service.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

embargo (ĕmbär'), prohibition by a country of the departure of ships or certain types of goods from its ports. Instances of confining all domestic ships to port are rare, and the Embargo Act of 1807 is the sole example of this in American history. The detention of foreign vessels has occurred more often, either as an act of reprisal designed to coerce diplomatic redress, or in contemplation of war with the country to which the vessels belonged. Embargoes on goods, however, are far more common. Although an embargo can cripple a nation's economy, the use of an embargo alone has typically failed to achieve the goal its imposition was intended to secure.

The United States has used embargoes for both economic and strategic purposes. An example of the former was the prohibition of gold bullion exports in 1933, while the latter is seen in the embargo placed on certain war materials in 1940. An embargo may also be used as a political device. Thus, in 1912 the president was empowered to forbid the export of munitions to Latin America. The Neutrality Act of 1936 gave the president a similar power with regard to warring nations anywhere.

Embargoes were authorized as a form of sanction by the Covenant of the League of Nations, and were applied against Paraguay in 1934 in the Chaco dispute (see Gran Chaco) with Bolivia, and against Italy for its invasion of Ethiopia (1935-36). Article 41 of the United Nations Charter permits embargoes in cases of military aggression, and during the Korean War, the United Nations called upon its members to refrain from sending arms and strategic materials to territory controlled by the North Koreans and Chinese.

In 1960, the United States imposed an embargo of all goods, excluding food and medicine, on Cuba, and in 1962 the Organization of American States, amid great controversy, established its own Cuban trade embargo (since abandoned). Since the 1970s, economic sanctions of this sort have increasingly been used by the United States and the United Nations against nations that disturb peaceful relations, such as Iraq (imposed in 1990; exemption to sell oil in order to buy food and medicine granted in 1996) or Yugoslavia (imposed in 1992; eased in 1995 with removal tied to compliance with the Dayton Accords; new embargoes imposed by NATO during the Kosovo crisis in 1999); or against nations that have maintained white minority governments, such as Rhodesia (in the 1970s) or South Africa (in the 1980s).


This entry contains information applicable to United States law only.

A proclamation or order of government, usually issued in time of war or threatened hostilities, prohibiting the departure of ships or goods from some or all ports until further order. Government order prohibiting commercial trade with individuals or businesses of other specified nations. Legal prohibition on commerce.

The temporary or permanent sequestration of the property of individuals for the purposes of a government, e.g., to obtain vessels for the transport of troops, the owners being reimbursed for this forced service.

A governmental restriction on trade for political purposes. The objective is to put pressure on other governments by prohibiting exports to or imports from those countries.

A government order that restricts commerce or exchange with a specified country. An embargo is usually created as a result of unfavorable political or economic circumstances between nations. The restriction looks to isolate the country and create difficulties for its governing body, forcing it to act on the underlying issue.

Investopedia Says:
An embargo will restrict all trade with a country, or aim to reduce the exchange of specific goods. For example, a strategic embargo prevents the exchange of any military goods with a country. A trade embargo will restrict anyone from exporting to the target nation. Because many nations rely on global trade, an embargo is a powerful tool for influencing a nation.

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Word Tutor:

embargo

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pronunciation

IN BRIEF: Legal prohibition or restriction of foreign commerce or trade.

pronunciation The imposing of an embargo by the United States can negatively impact another country's revenue.

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  • Release Date: 1977
  • Genre: Action
  • Style: Overhead View Action
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categories related to 'embargo'

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Random House Word Menu by Stephen Glazier
For a list of words related to embargo, see:

  See crossword solutions for the clue Embargo.

An embargo (from the Spanish embargo) is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country, in order to isolate it. Embargoes are considered strong diplomatic measures imposed in an effort, by the imposing country, to elicit a given national-interest result from the country on which it is imposed. Embargoes are similar to economic sanctions and are generally considered legal barriers to trade, not to be confused with blockades, which are often considered to be acts of war.[1]

Embargo may also refer to the practice of blocking fare classes at certain levels, and award availability on airlines. In response to embargoes, an independent economy or autarky often develops in an area subjected to heavy embargo. Effectiveness of embargoes is thus in proportion to the extent and degree of international participation.

Contents

Examples of Embargoes

The Embargo of 1807 was a series of laws passed by the U.S. Congress 1806–1808, during the second term of President Thomas Jefferson. Britain and France were engaged in a major war; the U.S. wanted to remain neutral and trade with both sides, but neither side wanted the other to have the American supplies. The American national-interest goal was to use the new laws to avoid war and force that country to respect American rights.[2]

One of the most comprehensive attempts at an embargo happened during the Napoleonic Wars. In an attempt to cripple the United Kingdom economically, the Continental System – which forbade European nations from trading with the UK – was created. In practice it was not completely enforceable and was as harmful if not more so to the nations involved than to the British.[3]

The United States imposed an embargo on Cuba on February 7, 1962.[citation needed] Referred to by Cuba as "el bloqueo" (the blockade), the US embargo on Cuba remains one of the longest-standing embargoes. The embargo was embraced by few of the United States' allies and apparently has done little to affect Cuban policies over the years. Nonetheless, while taking some steps to allow limited economic exchanges with Cuba, President Barack Obama recently reaffirmed the policy, stating that without improved human rights and freedoms by Cuba's current government, the embargo remains "in the national interest of the United States."

In effort to punish South Africa for its policies of apartheid, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a voluntary international oil embargo against South Africa on November 20, 1987; that embargo had the support of 130 countries.[4]

List of countries under embargo

  • Mali (by ECOWAS) total embargo in order to force Juntas to give power back and re-install National constitution. Decided on April 2nd, 2012
  • China (by EU and US), arms embargo, enacted in response to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
  • Iran (by US and US international allies), notably bar nuclear, missile and many military exports to Iran and target investments in oil, gas and petrochemicals, exports of refined petroleum products, as well as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, banks, insurance, financial transactions and shipping. enacted 1979, increased through the following years and reached its tightest point in 2010.
  • North Korea (by UN, USA, EU),[5] luxury goods (and arms), enacted 2006
  • Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, (by UN), consumer goods, enacted 1975[citation needed]
  • Cuba (by US), arms, consumer goods, money, enacted 1960
  • Georgia (by Russia), agricultural products, wine, mineral water, enacted 2006
  • Japan, animal shipments due to lack of infrastructure and radiation issue after the 2011 9.0 earthquake aftermath.
  • Indonesia (by Australia), cattle, enacted since 2011
  • Gaza Strip by Israel since 2001
  • Syria (by EU, US), arms and imports of oil. [6]

Former trade embargoes

See also

General:

Notes


Top

Dansk (Danish)
n. - embargo, handelsforbud, handelssanktion, hindring
v. tr. - belægge med embargo, beslaglægge, rekvirere, konfiskere

Nederlands (Dutch)
embargo, uitvoerverbod, handelsverbod, beletsel

Français (French)
n. - (Pol, Comm, Naut, etc) embargo, (fig) interdiction, restriction
v. tr. - instaurer un embargo, (fig) interdire

Deutsch (German)
n. - Embargo, Sperre
v. - sperren

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - εμπάργκο, οικονομικός αποκλεισμός, παρεμπόδιση
v. - (οικον.) επιβάλλω εμπάργκο/οικονομικό αποκλεισμό

Italiano (Italian)
embargo

Português (Portuguese)
n. - embargo (m), proibição (f)
v. - embargar, proibir, confiscar

Русский (Russian)
эмбарго, наложить эмбарго

Español (Spanish)
n. - embargo
v. tr. - embargar, prohibir la entrada o salida de buques o mercancías

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - handelsförbud, beslag, embargo
v. - sätta i handelsförbud

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
封港令, 阻止, 禁运, 禁止出入港口

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 封港令, 阻止, 禁運
v. tr. - 禁止出入港口, 禁運

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 억류, 통상 정지, 금지
v. tr. - 출항 금지를 명하다, 입항 금지를 명하다

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 出港禁止, 通商禁止, 制限
v. - 出入港を禁止する, 輸出入を禁止する

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) حظر (فعل) يفرض حظرا‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮אמברגו, מעצר, הסגר, איסור על כניסה לנמלי מדינה ויציאה מהם, השעייה רשמית של מסחר או פעילות אחרת‬
v. tr. - ‮אמברגו, הטיל אמברגו על, מעצר, הסגר‬


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