anything which makes it difficult for someone to do something, especially to send goods from one place to another nounanything which makes it difficult for someone to do something, especially to send goods from one place to anotherUsageto impose trade barriers on certain goodsto restrict the import of some goods by charging high duty ExampleThey considered imposing trade barriers on some food products.Usageto lift trade barriers from importsto remove restrictions on imports ExampleThe government has lifted trade barriers on foreign cars."...a senior European Community official has denounced Japanese trade barriers, saying they cost European producers $3 billion a year" [Times]"...to create a single market out of the EC member states, physical, technical and tax barriers to free movement of trade between member states had to be removed. Imposing VAT on importation of goods from other member states was seen as one such tax barrier" [Accountancy]