Economic Nationalism is an approach, not so much to economics as Public Policy. It finances government operations by taxing foreign imports. This makes it different from Free Trade, which in practice means global free trade.
Pat Buchanan, a worthy American politician favours the nationalist approach; looking after your own people. The global version means that the Working Man in America finds himself competing with low wage Chinese workers. It is a competition he is bound to lose. Pat explains at Remedial Economic Nationalism 101.
When large companies want high profits they talk to their accountants. Wage bills can be drastically reduced. The results are, typically, huge wages for the bosses, the dole queue for workers and gainful employment for foreigners.
Some of the savings will pass on to the end user, the consumer. A large part will go the management, to Capitalist Swine.
Milton Friedman, lately a professor of Economics, one with a Nobel Prize for it favours [ global ] free trade. Pat disagrees. So do I.
The Wiki puts its view at #Economic Nationalism ex Wiki. It is hostile. You might feel that it is right. Read for yourself. Think for yourself. Decide for yourself.
Economic Nationalism ex Wiki
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Economic nationalism is an ideology that favors state interventionism over other market mechanisms, with policies such as domestic control of the economy, labor, and capital formation, including if this requires the imposition of tariffs and other restrictions on the movement of labor, goods and capital.[1] The core belief of economic nationalism is that the economy should serve nationalist goals.[2]Economic nationalists oppose globalization or at least question the benefits of unrestricted free trade. They favor protectionism and advocate for self-sufficiency.[3] To economic nationalists, markets are to be subordinate to the state, and should serve the interests of the state (such as providing national security and accumulating military power). The doctrine of mercantilism is a prominent variant of economic nationalism.[4] Economic nationalists tend to see international trade as zero-sum, where the goal is to derive relative gains (as opposed to mutual gains).[1]
Economic nationalism tends to emphasize industrialization (and often aids industries with state support), due to beliefs that industry has positive spillover effects on the rest of the economy, enhances the self-sufficiency and political autonomy of the country, and is a crucial aspect in building military power.[1]
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Is the Wiki taking it down the middle? I think not.