and other classical liberals, in expounding the benefits of free trade and comparative advantage, presented a view of how trade policy should be conducted that differed markedly from the mercantilist position. Mercantilism perceived trade policy to be a means of 'strengthening' the nation'. 'Strength' was to be achieved by a trade surplus that facilitated the accumulation of gold and wealth, which in turn provided the means of defense and also the means to increase wealth by conquest. The mercantilist view imparted a protectionist bias to trade policy -the objective was to export, and not to 'waste' resources on imports. Citizens were thus encouraged to sell but not to buy from foreigners. The liberal tradition that underlies the neo-classical model of international trade in contrast expounds the virtue of consumption of the foreigners' goods, and proposes free trade, production specialization, and reliance on the international market as the means whereby the citizens of a country can collectively maximize their consumption opportunities. In the classical model, voluntary exchange is by presumption welfare improving, independently of whether the exchange takes place with foreigners or with domestic residents; and protectionist policies that inhibit voluntary exchange are conversely welfare reducing.