Analyzes the import patterns of selected countries to determine which nations are active importers and which ones import much less than expected. The majority of the work focuses on the industrialized countries, which are at the centre of the international trading system, determining which are very active importers and which are not. Controls for wealth, size, and membership in customs areas are included. Countries importing at levels lower than anticipated are ones most likely to be most effective at protecting domestic industries from foreign competition. For example, the results will permit an evaluation of the arguments which suggest that Japan consistently imports less than would be expected because of major barriers to imports.