<P> The authority of Congress to regulate international trade is set out in Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 1 of the United States Constitution: </P> <P> The Congress shall have power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and to promote the general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States; </P> <P> The Embargo Act of 1807 was designed to force Britain to rescind its restrictions on American trade, but failed, and was repealed in early 1809 . </P> <P> During the Civil War period, leaders of the Confederacy were confident that Britain would come to their aid because of British reliance on Southern cotton . The Union was able to avoid this, through skillful use of diplomacy and threats to other aspects of European - U.S. trade relations . </P>

How does the us trade with other countries