Boycott

Summary of Boycott

A conspiracy or coalition for the purpose of impeding the commerce of another. Boycotts are often attempts to advance political objectives by economic means and fall into two categories; the primary boycott, in which a party to the boycott refrains from trading with the boycotted nation; and the secondary boycott, in which a party to the boycott attempts to induce others outside the conflict to adhere to the boycott, often as a condition of continued trade with the party making the request. U.S. law prohibits any American person or firm from “taking or knowingly agreeing to take . . . actions with intent to comply with, further, or support any boycott fostered or imposed by any foreign country against a country which is friendly to the United States and which itself is not the object of any form of boycott pursuant to United States laws or regulations.”The antiboycott law is administered by the Department of Commerce.

(Main Author: William J. Miller)

Boycott in the International Trade Union Rights Area

Definition of Boycott provided by ITUC-CSI-IGB: A collective refusal to buy or use the goods or services of an employer to express disapproval with its practices. Primary boycotts are used to put direct pressure on an employer, while a secondary boycott involves the refusal to deal with a neutral employer with the view of dissuading it from patronising the target employer.

Election Boycott in Election Law

Means used by political parties, candidates or voters to challenge an electoral process by refusing to participate in the election. A boycott may take different forms. Voters may be called not to cast their votes on election day. Political parties (usually from the opposition) may refuse to register candidates. Candidates who are already nominated may withdraw from the electoral race.

Boycott in International Trade

Meaning of Boycott, according to the Dictionary of International Trade (Global Negotiator): A refusal to deal commercially or otherwise with a person, firm, or country.

Boycott

Embracing mainstream international law, this section on boycott explores the context, history and effect of the area of the law covered here.

Boycott

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See Also

• International Trade
• Trade Regulation
• International Economic Law
• Export License
• International Trade Law
• Foreign Trade
• Safeguard

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See Also

• Secondary boycott

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Further Reading

• The entry “boycott” in the Parry and Grant Encyclopaedic Dictionary of International Law (currently, the Encyclopaedic Dictionary of International Law, 2009), Oxford University Press

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See Also

• Election Law
• Electoral Laws
• Electoral Legislation

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Trade Union Topics

• Trade Union Act
• Trades Union Congress (TUC)
• Trade Union Density
• Definition of Trade Union
• Socialist Coalition
• Socialist Party
• Legislative Power
• Trade unions in Europe
• Trades Union Act
• Cartism
• Poor Law
• Combination Acts

Secondary boycott in the International Trade Union Rights Area

Definition of Secondary boycott provided by ITUC-CSI-IGB: See boycott

Resources

Trade Union Topics

• Trade Union Act
• Trades Union Congress (TUC)
• Trade Union Density
• Definition of Trade Union
• Socialist Coalition
• Socialist Party
• Legislative Power
• Trade unions in Europe
• Trades Union Act
• Cartism
• Poor Law
• Combination Acts

Boycott and the GATT Policy Negotiations

In relation to the GATT Policy Negotiations, Christopher Mark (1993) provided the following explanation and/or definition of Boycott: A refusal to deal commercially or otherwise with a country, firm, or individual. A party to a “primary boycott” is one, which refrains from trading with the targeted country. A “secondary boycott” is one in which parties to a boycott attempt to induce other countries to adhere to the boycott, often as a condition of continued trade relations with them. See also embargo and sanctions.