UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Bullying tactics

Q1. With reference to the US legal instruments and WTO framework governing trade tariffs, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Section 232 of the US Trade Expansion Act of 1962 authorises import restrictions on national-security grounds, whereas Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 targets foreign practices deemed unreasonable or discriminatory.
  2. In the DS544 dispute, the WTO panel held that the GATT Article XXI security exception is entirely self-judging and hence wholly beyond a panel's review.
  3. Article XXI of the GATT is the security exception invoked by the United States to justify its steel and aluminium tariffs.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q2. Under which one of the following US statutes are duties on steel and aluminium imports imposed on national-security justifications?

  • A. Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962
  • B. Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974
  • C. International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977
  • D. Article XXI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade

Q3. With reference to Greenland, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Greenland is a self-governing territory of the Kingdom of Denmark under the Act on Greenland Self-Government of 2009.
  2. Under that Act, Denmark retains control of foreign relations and defence.
  3. Greenland is the world's largest island and lies entirely within the Arctic Circle.
  4. The US installation on Greenland, renamed Pituffik Space Base in 2023, was originally established as Thule Air Base in 1951–52.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q4. The Pituffik Space Base in Greenland, hosting a ballistic-missile early-warning station, is operated under which one of the following US military branches?

  • A. US Space Force
  • B. US Air Force
  • C. US Navy
  • D. US Army

Q5. With reference to the North Atlantic Treaty, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Article 5 provides that an armed attack against one member shall be considered an attack against all.
  2. Article 4 provides for members to consult together whenever any member's territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened.
  3. NATO was founded by the Washington Treaty of 4 April 1949 with fifteen original members.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. Which one of the following best describes the commitment under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty?

  • A. An armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all, with each member assisting by such action as it deems necessary
  • B. Members must consult together whenever any member's security is threatened
  • C. Members are obliged to automatically deploy their armed forces to defend any member under attack
  • D. Alliance decisions are taken by qualified-majority voting among members

Q7. The January 2026 US tariff threat over Greenland was aimed at goods from named NATO allies. Consider the following states, each described as a NATO member. Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified?

  1. France — a NATO member
  2. Netherlands — a NATO member
  3. Switzerland — a NATO member
  4. United Kingdom — a NATO member
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 1 and 4

Q8. In the context of the January 2026 Greenland episode, the term 'tariff coercion' is best defined as which one of the following?

  • A. The use of trade duties as a political weapon to compel territorial, security or policy concessions, distinct from tariffs imposed for trade-balance or anti-dumping purposes
  • B. A duty imposed to counter the dumping of imported goods sold below their normal value
  • C. A reciprocal reduction of tariffs negotiated between partners under a free-trade agreement
  • D. A protective duty levied to shield a nascent domestic industry from foreign competition

Q9. According to the conventional classification of the instruments of statecraft, into how many broad categories are the techniques of statecraft divided, of which economic statecraft is one?

  • A. Two
  • B. Three
  • C. Four
  • D. Five