The Iron Act was a law passed by British parliament that encouraged the colonies to produce more Pig Iron (crude Iron shaped like a block) and Iron smaller Bars, and have them sent to Britain, tax-free. But the act also forbade the producing of finished iron goods. The British also wanted to restrict the growth of of Iron goods made in the colonies, and ban the export of Iron goods from the colonies to anywhere else but Britain. The colonists were angry, because they couldn 't get as much of a profit as they were before the act. To challenge this act, the colonists boycotted British goods, and smuggled finished iron goods out of the colonies to other counties.