... and France, who began to dominate. It's other industries, such as the woollen industry based around Leyden and the silk industry were declining too, being much more popular at home than abroad. The most significant Dutch business was in the buying and selling of raw materials as opposed to manufacturing, although this suffered later on as nearly every European country began, (in an effort to develop their own industries), to impose high import and export taxes on good entering and leaving, making this trade un-economical. Despite attempts at encouraging autarky (the nationalistic reliance on a nation's own resources and industry), the Dutch failed to stimulate an interest. This was partly due to Dutch manufacturer's reluctance to adopt new technologies and methods of production from abroad, meaning their goods were usually significantly less advanced and more expensive than their foreign rival's (and a large business in smuggling made them even more ...

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