1. a refusal or agreement to refuse to import goods, typically as a form of protest or economic pressure against another country or group
Usage: often used in historical contexts, particularly regarding colonial American resistance to British trade policies

Examples

• The colonists organized a nonimportation agreement to protest the Stamp Act.
• Nonimportation became a powerful political tool in the years leading up to the American Revolution.
• Merchants agreed to a nonimportation policy to pressure the British government into repealing unpopular taxes.
• The nonimportation movement united different colonies in their resistance to British control.
• By refusing nonimportation, some traders hoped to maintain their commercial relationships with Britain.