【正确答案】The main tenant of mercantilism, which emerged in England in the mid-16th century, was that it was in a country's best interest to maintain a trade surplus. By doing so, a country would accumulate gold and silver, and increase its national wealth and prestige. The mercantilist doctrine advocated government intervention to achieve a surplus in the balance of trade. The mercantilists saw no virtue in a large volume of trade. Rather, they recommended to their governments to limit imports by tariffs and quotas and stimulate exports through subsidies.