How Britain combined commerce interdiction with neutral trade

Did Britain conduct commerce raiding, or did it only protect its own trade?

It pursued broad economic warfare: British trade kept moving while enemy commerce was intercepted at sea or displaced through neutral markets.

Britain pursued a broad system of economic warfare. British shipping continued while enemy merchant traffic was captured or forced into neutral internment. Neutral ports could not be blockaded without risking another war, so interception had to occur after ships put to sea. Britain could also deny goods to Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottoman Empire by outbidding their contracts, including purchases of Norwegian exports. Maritime interception and purchasing power offered different ways to prevent goods reaching an opponent.