What can governments impose against another country to protest that country's behavior?

Trade sanctions are measures imposed by one country against another to demonstrate disapproval or to persuade the target country to change its behavior. These sanctions can take various forms, including tariffs, import quotas, or outright bans on trade with specific industries or goods. The objective of trade sanctions is to apply economic pressure on the offending nation, making it more costly for them to maintain their current actions or policies.

This approach is often viewed as a non-military strategy to exert influence and signal to the international community that the behavior of the targeted country is unacceptable. Trade sanctions have been historically employed in various instances, such as against countries violating human rights or engaging in illegal activities.

While fines and penalties typically relate to legal repercussions within domestic contexts, and civil action does not necessarily carry the same international implications, trade sanctions specifically address interactions between nations within a global framework. Therefore, they are the primary tool through which governments can respond to another nation's actions in a way that aims to incite change.