A favorable balance of trade was the primary goal of Britain as it developed economic policies to further its empire. This idea of a favorable balance of trade meant that the exports exceeded the imports. To make this goal a reality, the British were supplied with commodities from its colonies, which it would then export to foreign markets. This idea of intervening in trade to increase national wealth is known as mercantilism. In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the British policy of mercantilism shaped and promoted its national economy. One of the different policies implemented to benefit Britain was its limitations on trade and trade partners for the colonies. The British developed the Navigation Act of 1651, which declared that
