Which of these statements was an argument for the elimination of trade barriers between various European nations after WWII? The elimination of trade barriers was seen as a way to strengthen ties with the more prosperous United States. Economic aid and the elimination of trade barriers would placate the more aggressive countries. Economic sanctions after WWI had contributed to economic and political instability; European nations wanted to avoid that instability after WWII. The elimination of trade barriers was the first step in creating a European Union over the next 20 years