Navigation Acts

England had the Navigation Acts of 1651 on the books, but had let colonial smuggling to other countries slide during the period of Salutary Neglect. After the French and Indian War ended, Britain tightened up on trade laws and wrote a new set of the Navigation Acts in 1763. (See video below below about the Navigation Acts, starting at 3:00 and ending at 3:15)

New Navigation Acts of 1763: The 13 English Colonies were forced to sell certain products (esp. sugar, tobacco, indigo) only to England or to other English colonies. Any products that were exported from the colonies to other foreign nations or imported from other foreign nations to the colonies had to pass through England first.