The European Commission is considering imposing quotas across the EU.
Caterpillar, a tractor maker, has come out against imposing quotas on foreign steel.
One response is to force companies to hire locals, imposing quotas in the name of Omanisation or Saudi-isation.
The companies claim that imposing quotas would make it harder for carmakers to launch new models in the UK.
Criticism that imposing quotas could lead to "tokenism" has not prevented other countries, including France, Germany and Italy, from considering the move.
Indeed, the central bank tried to encourage more lending even after the currency fell, imposing quotas of 8% credit growth for 1998.
The Premier League may follow the Football League in imposing quotas of 'home-grown' players, Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry has revealed.
The lack of women on corporate boards has been a hot topic in financial circles recently, especially after a debate in Europe last year over imposing quotas.
In the short term, following a currency wobble over the summer, the government has resorted to a more primitive response, hiking taxes and imposing quotas on gold imports.
Since America is also imposing quotas on China, South-East Asian exporters now face much less competition, at least for a while.
It effectively killed a bill which had previously sailed through the House, imposing quotas on all foreign steel producers.The White House sighed with relief.
