Eliminating Excessive Tariffs on Exports of Least Developed Countries

Hoekman, Bernard ; Ng, Francis ; Olarreaga, Marcelo

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS;    AGRICULTURE;    ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES;    ANDEAN PACT;    APPAREL;   

DOI  :  10.1596/1813-9450-2604
RP-ID  :  WPS2604

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Most goods imported from developingcountries, enter Quad markets duty-free, and, averagetariffs in Quad markets are very low. But tariffs for somecommodities are over one hundred percent. Such "tariffpeaks" are often concentrated in products developingcountries want to export: agricultural, and food products -especially such staples as sugar, cereals, and fish; fruitsand vegetables; food products with a high sugar content;and, tobacco, and alcoholic beverages - and products fromsuch labor-intensive sectors as apparel, and footwear.Giving least developed countries full duty- and quota-freeaccess in the Quad for peak-tariff products would increasetheir total annual exports by eleven percent - or roughly $2.5 billion. Exports to Quad countries of peak-tariffproducts, would expand by 30-60 percent. Considering thatpeak-tariff items account for only a small share ofdeveloping countries' exports, granting lest developedcountries duty-free access, would have only a negligibleimpact on other developing countries. For the same reason,Quad imports increase only marginally, suggesting that thisfactor should not constrain implementation of duty-freeaccess for the poorest countries.