In the context of Britain's mercantilist economy, trade barriers in the colonies primarily reinforced Britain's goal of controlling colonial trade to ensure that the economic benefits flowed back to the mother country. Here’s how the given options fit into that context:
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Trade barriers made it difficult for the colonies to engage in the triangular trade route. - This statement reflects how mercantilism sought to limit colonial trade routes and enforce strict trading practices. By imposing barriers, Britain could ensure that colonial trade was primarily focused on benefiting British interests.
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Trade barriers made it difficult for the colonists to trade with any but British companies. - This is a key aspect of mercantilism. The Navigation Acts and other trade restrictions mandated that certain goods produced in the colonies could only be exported to Britain or British ships, thus forcing the colonies to rely exclusively on British merchants for trade. This monopoly benefited Britain economically by controlling prices and trade routes.
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Trade barriers made it difficult for the colonists to trade with British companies. - This statement is less accurate in the mercantilist context. The barriers were primarily designed to ensure that colonists could only trade with British companies, not to restrict that trade.
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Trade barriers made it difficult for Britain to export goods to the colonies. - This statement is also inaccurate within the framework of mercantilism. The barriers were implemented to strengthen Britain's export of goods to the colonies, thus ensuring that the colonies remained economically dependent on British products.
In summary, the most accurate representations of how trade barriers in the colonies fit into Britain's mercantilist economy would be the first two statements. They highlight how trade barriers were designed to control and exploit colonial trade for the benefit of Britain, consistent with mercantilist principles.