Final answer:
Sanctions are generally imposed to economically punish or coerce a nation into changing its behavior, not to protect industries or solely increase costs for foreign competitors. They are a political tool and work best when they involve international cooperation. Tariffs serve a different purpose, primarily protecting domestic industries rather than being punitive.
Step-by-step explanation:
Sanctions are typically imposed to inflict economic harm on a nation in order to punish or coerce that nation into changing its policies or actions. Sanctions can manifest as trade embargoes, financial restrictions, or other economic measures. For instance, the United States imposed an embargo on Cuba in reaction to nationalization of American-owned oil refineries without compensation. Moreover, sanctions become more effective when multiple countries participate and work together to ensure that the targeted state feels the full impact of these measures.
In contrast to sanctions, other trade measures such as tariffs are often used to protect sensitive industries within a country, for humanitarian reasons, or to prevent dumping. For example, tariffs may be used to shield an infant industry from foreign competition or to promote national security by limiting imports of certain goods, like in the case of nation X and Y who might be geopolitical rivals.
Discussions and negotiations on trade measures take place in international forums such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), which aims to reduce barriers to trade. While tariffs and sanctions both affect international trade, the motivations and outcomes of imposing them can differ significantly.