Colonists got around mercantilism primarily through widespread smuggling and illegal trade, which allowed them to evade British trade restrictions and taxes. The British mercantilist system, enforced by laws like the Navigation Acts and the Molasses Act, restricted colonial trade to benefit Britain by mandating that goods be transported on British ships and that certain products be sold only to Britain or its colonies. However, colonists often ignored these rules by smuggling goods from non-British sources such as the French, Dutch, and Spanish West Indies, especially molasses used for rum production

. Several factors facilitated this evasion:

• The vast distance between Britain and the colonies made enforcement difficult and expensive, leading to a policy called "salutary neglect," where laws were passed but not strictly enforced

• British customs officials were often bribed by colonial merchants, and sympathetic colonial juries frequently acquitted smugglers when caught

• Smuggling became so common that it was estimated to bring in over £700,000 annually into the colonies, undermining British trade laws significantly

• Colonists also resisted other mercantilist restrictions, such as the Iron Act, by developing their own manufacturing processes despite British prohibitions

Thus, through smuggling, bribery, legal leniency, and outright defiance, colonists effectively circumvented mercantilist policies, which contributed to growing tensions leading up to the American Revolution