According to the Text,the Only Reason Great Britain Pushed the Case

According to the text,the only reason Great Britain pushed the case for trade liberalization for as long as 80 years in the 19^th century was that:

A) it was starting to lose the military stranglehold over much of its colonies.
B) the emergence of the U.S.threatened its position as the most industrialized nation.
C) it stood to lose the most from a trade war.
D) it had experienced severe famines and droughts in the earlier part of the 19^th century.