Book excerpt: The 13th in a series of annual surveys by the U.S. Trade Representative of significant foreign barriers to U.S. exports. It is based upon information compiled within USTR, the U.S. Depts. of Commerce & Agriculture, & other U.S. government agencies, & supplemented with information provided by members of the private sector trade advisory committees & U.S. embassies abroad. Trade barriers are broadly defined as government laws, regulations, policies, or practices that either protect domestic products from foreign competition or artificially stimulate exports of particular domestic products.