Final answer:
A country practicing mercantilism aims for balanced trade by maximizing exports and minimizing imports, aiming to retain gold and silver while encouraging domestic production over imports.
Step-by-step explanation:
Under the doctrine of mercantilism, a country can achieve a balanced trade by maximizing its exports and minimizing its imports. This approach is based on the notion that a nation should accumulate gold and silver by selling goods abroad and restrict the outflow of these precious metals by limiting imports. To do so, a nation would aim to be self-sufficient, producing all necessary goods domestically. If self-sufficiency isn't possible, the country should import raw materials, manufacture value-added finished goods, and export them to earn more than the costs of production. This strategy ensures that any raw materials present within the nation are used to support domestic manufacturing, ultimately leading to a favorable balance of trade.