The 14 quiz questions
Question 1 : Which famous trade route connected China to the Mediterranean in ancient times?
Possible answers:
- La Route de la Soie
- La Route des Épices
- La Route de l'Ambre
- La Route du Sel
Explanation: The Silk Road, over 7000 km long, was a network of trade routes linking Asia to Europe since the 2nd century BC, transporting silk, spices, precious stones, and ideas.
Question 2 : Which agreement, signed in 1947, laid the foundations of the multilateral trading system before the WTO?
Possible answers:
- Le GATT
- The Bretton Woods Agreements
- Le Plan Marshall
- Le Traité de Rome
Explanation: GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) was signed by 23 countries in 1947 to reduce trade barriers and promote free trade.
Question 3 : What do we call the difference between a country's exports and imports?
Possible answers:
- Trade balance
- Le taux de change
- Balance of payments
- Le PIB
Explanation: The trade balance measures the difference between exports and imports. A surplus means more exports, a deficit means the opposite.
Question 4 : What type of agreement eliminates customs duties between signatory countries?
Possible answers:
- Un quota
- Un embargo
- A non-aggression treaty
- A free trade agreement
Explanation: A free trade agreement (FTA) eliminates or significantly reduces customs duties and quotas between member countries, facilitating the movement of goods.
Question 5 : What is the name of the policy aimed at protecting the national economy through customs barriers?
Possible answers:
- Le protectionnisme
- Le mercantilisme
- Le keynésianisme
- Le libéralisme
Explanation: Protectionism consists of protecting national producers from foreign competition through customs duties, quotas, or restrictive standards.
Question 6 : What term describes selling products abroad at a price below their production cost?
Possible answers:
- Le boycott
- L'embargo
- La dévaluation
- Le dumping
Explanation: Dumping is an unfair trade practice of exporting products at abnormally low prices to eliminate local competition.
Question 7 : How many countries use the euro as their official currency (in 2024)?
Possible answers:
- 15 pays
- 17 pays
- 20 pays
- 27 pays
Explanation: The eurozone has 20 member countries since Croatia's accession in January 2023. It is the world's largest monetary union.
Question 8 : Which free trade agreement has linked the United States, Canada and Mexico since 2020?
Possible answers:
- L'ASEAN
- L'ACEUM (USMCA)
- Le MERCOSUR
- Le TPP
Explanation: The USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) replaced NAFTA in 2020. It is one of the world's largest trade agreements, covering 500 million consumers.
Question 9 : Which 20th century invention revolutionized maritime freight transport?
Possible answers:
- Le radar
- The standardized container
- Le pétrolier géant
- Le GPS
Explanation: The standardized container, introduced by Malcolm McLean in 1956, revolutionized world trade by reducing costs by 90% and loading time.
Question 10 : What event led to the United Kingdom leaving the European single market in 2020?
Possible answers:
- L'Italexit
- Le Grexit
- Le Brexit
- Le Frexit
Explanation: Brexit, the result of the 2016 referendum, led to the UK's effective departure from the EU on January 31, 2020, disrupting trade relations.
Question 11 : Which economic doctrine of the 16th-18th centuries advocated the accumulation of gold and silver?
Possible answers:
- Le capitalisme
- Le mercantilisme
- Le socialisme
- Le physiocratisme
Explanation: Mercantilism was an economic doctrine where a nation's wealth was measured by its reserves of precious metals, favoring exports.
Question 12 : Which international institution grants loans to countries in financial difficulty?
Possible answers:
- The UN
- UNESCO
- The ECB
- The IMF
Explanation: The International Monetary Fund (IMF), created in 1944 at Bretton Woods, helps countries in balance of payments crisis through loans conditioned on reforms.
Question 13 : What tool limits the maximum quantity of a product that can be imported?
Possible answers:
- Un embargo
- Une subvention
- An import quota
- Un droit de douane
Explanation: Import quotas set a quantitative limit on foreign goods, thus protecting local producers from competition.
Question 14 : Which European port is the largest in terms of cargo volume handled?
Possible answers:
- Anvers
- Hambourg
- Rotterdam
- Le Havre
Explanation: The port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands is Europe's largest port, handling more than 450 million tonnes of goods per year. It is Europe's gateway.
