Tariff Dispersion Research Articles

Inspections in Customs: A Case Study of the Role of Tariff Dispersion on Red Lane Classification in Argentina

The role of tariff dispersion, defined here as having different tariff lines or import tariffs for ‘similar products’, has been underexplored. In this paper, we present empirical evidence on the role that tariff dispersion has on red lane classification during customs clearance in Argentina. We find that products with tariff dispersion are more likely to be classified through the red lanes. In particular, high levels of tariff dispersion at the Harmonized System (HS) level 6 are associated with a 10 per cent increase in the probability of being classified in the red lane. Considering the negative effects of delays in customs on competitiveness, this paper highlights the relevance of having a simple — and not necessarily uniform — import tariff structure.

Restrictive or expansive selection: the uneven role of tariff structure in improving market access

We estimate the effect of tariff reforms on market access from the Doha Round until the Great Recession. Gravity estimates yield significant effects of the variation in tariff structure. The change in the Mercantilist Trade Restrictiveness Index reveals that the change in tariff dispersion reflects a restrictive selection counteracting the effect of average tariff reductions. Restrictiveness is concentrated in East Asia and Pacific while, in Latin America and Caribbean, selection is expansive. We illustrate reforms in China, finding strong restrictive selection. Simulations highlight reforms with unchanged dispersion for their larger improvement in market access and a simultaneous improvement in welfare.

Gas transmission networks in Europe: Connections between different entry-exit tariff methodologies

Following a request of the European Commission in 2012, different bodies within the gas energy sector have been working on a Network Code for transmission tariffs. The final goal is to get a more harmonized structure within the European Union. This paper complements those efforts by developing a formal treatment of some methodological aspects arising in past and present drafts of the Network Code.First, the analysis provides simple formulas for the computation of the tariffs resulting from the application of two of the main methodologies that have been discussed in the official documents: the capacity-weighted distance approach and the least squares approach. Second, it is shown that the tariffs delivered by the two approaches are perfectly correlated with each other. Maybe more importantly, if a natural adjustment is performed to control tariff dispersion, then both approaches lead to exactly the same tariffs.Moreover, the analysis highlights an issue that may have been overlooked by regulators and also by past publications: the difference between weighted and unweighted versions of the methodologies under study and the reasons why weighted versions should be preferred. The paper concludes with a brief comparison with other methodologies and discussing some policy implications.

Flexible and welfare-consistent tariff aggregation over exporter regions

In this paper we improve on existing tariff aggregation techniques in applied equilibrium models (AEM) with the aim of correcting for two sources of bias in simulated welfare results: (1) aggregation over exporter regions with significant tariff dispersion and (2) variable tariff rates determined by Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) regimes. Both aspects seem important due to an increasing number of bilateral FTAs which drive up tariff divergence across countries and tend to apply TRQs, at least temporarily. We demonstrate that the proposed aggregation technique can handle both tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade by combining a number of tariff indexes in a modified trade balance condition in a welfare-consistent manner. Additionally, different rent-allocation shares for TRQs can be easily introduced in our methodological extension. We also address the implications of some rather strict behavioral assumptions with regard to demand that welfare consistent aggregation requires. An empirical analysis of the Korean dairy market in the EU–South Korea FTA using the proposed method shows that simulated welfare gains are largely affected by the tariff aggregation technique over regions and trade policy instruments. Based on this finding we recommend the more widespread application of welfare consistent tariff aggregation in applied modeling and further research on that topic.

The critical mass approach to achieve a deal on green goods and services: what is on the table? How much should we expect?

AbstractIn July 2014 a group of 14 countries (the ‘Davos Group’) launched negotiations on liberalizing trade in ‘green goods’ (also known as environmental goods – EGs), focusing on the elimination of tariffs for a list of 54 products. With an average tariff of 1.8 per cent, this group has little to offer even if the list were extended to the 411 products on the ‘WTO list’. Taking into account tariff dispersion, their tariff structure on EGs would be equivalent to a uniform tariff of 3.4 per cent, about half the uniform tariff-equivalent for non EGs products. Enlarging the number of participants to low-income countries might be possible as, on average, their imports would not increase by more than 8 per cent. Because of the strong complementarities between trade in EGs and trade in environmental services, these should also be brought into the negotiation in spite of the likely difficulties in reaching agreement on their scope.

The Critical Mass Approach to Achieve a Deal on Green Goods and Services: What is on the Table? How Much to Expect?

At the Davos forum of January 2014, a group of 14 countries pledged to launch negotiations on liberalizing trade in green (also known as goods), focusing on the elimination of tariffs for an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation list of 54 products. The paper shows that the Davos group, with an average tariff of 1.8 percent, has little to offer as countries have avoided submitting products with tariff peaks for tariff reductions. Even if the list were extended to the 411 products on the World Trade Organization list, taking into account tariff dispersion, the tariff structure on environmental goods would be equivalent to a uniform tariff of 3.4 percent, about half the uniform tariff-equivalent for non-environmental goods. Enlarging the number of participants to low-income countries might be possible as, on average, their imports would not increase by more than 8 percent. However, because of the strong complementarities between trade in environmental goods and trade in environmental services, these should also be brought to the negotiation table, although difficulties in reaching agreement on their scope are likely to be great.

HAS SOUTH AFRICA LIBERALISED ITS TRADE?

This paper uses new tariff data to re-evaluate the extent to which South Africa has liberalised its trade from the late 1980s. The paper finds that significant progress has been made in simplifying South Africa's tariff structure and reducing tariff protection, but further progress can be made in removing tariff peaks, reducing tariff dispersion, and lowering the anti-export bias arising from protection. Further, although protection has fallen, the decline has been no faster than in other lower-middle-income economies. The paper also finds that estimates of the level of nominal and effective protection, and their rate of change, are sensitive to the choice of tariff measure (collection duties or scheduled tariff rates) and Input-Output or Supply-Use table, but that the sectoral structure of protection is largely unaffected.

Agricultural Trade Restrictiveness in the European Union and the United States

The paper provides a summary measure of the Uruguay Round tariff reduction commitments in the European Union and the United States, using the Mercantilistic Trade Restrictiveness Index (MTRI) as the tariff aggregator. We compute the index for agricultural commodity aggregates assuming a specific (Constant Elasticity of Substitution) functional form for import demand. The levels of the MTRI under the actual commitments of the Uruguay Round are computed and compared with two hypothetical cases, the Swiss Formula leading to a 36 percent average decrease in tariffs and a uniform 36 percent reduction of each tariff. This makes it possible to infer how reducing tariff dispersion would help improve market access in future trade agreements.

Agricultural trade restrictiveness in the European Union and the United States

AbstractThe article provides a summary measure of the Uruguay Round tariff reduction commitments in the European Union and the United States, using the Mercantilistic Trade Restrictiveness Index (MTRI) as the tariff aggregator. We compute the index for agricultural commodity aggregates assuming a specific (constant elasticity of substitution) functional form for import demand. The levels of the MTRI under the actual commitments of the Uruguay Round are computed and compared with two hypothetical cases, a deeper cut in higher tariffs and a uniform reduction of each tariff, both leading to the same average reduction as in the Uruguay Round. This makes it possible to infer how reducing tariff dispersion will help improve market access in future trade agreements, and provides some guidelines for aggregating detailed tariffs in trade models.

Tariff Discrimination versus MFN under Incomplete Information

Does the presence of incomplete information affect a country's incentive to discriminate across exporters with different costs? If so, how? From a global perspective, does the presence of incomplete information weaken or strengthen the case for MFN? We examine these questions in a model of imperfect competition with two asymmetric exporters and a single importing country who is imperfectly informed about exporters' costs. Despite the lack of complete information, the importing country prefers discrimination to MFN. However, equilibrium tariff dispersion is lower under incomplete information. As a result, the global welfare gain from MFN, while still positive, is smaller under incomplete information relative to the case of complete information.

Tariff Reduction Effects of WTO/DDA Agricultural Negotiations: Analysis of the Chairman's Second Draft Text

The average tariff reduction rate is 20% point higher in five developed countries analyzed in this study compared to five developing countries following the direction offered by the Chairman's Draft Text. Average tariff reduction rates are 31.6% for the five developing countries and 51.4% for the five developed countries. Korea's tariff reduction rate reaches to 36.1%, the highest reduction in developing countries, when Korea retains the developing country status. When Korea makes tariff reductions following the direction for developed countries, the average tariff reduction rate rises to 55.8%. Tariff reductions following the second Draft Text affect the tariff structure. Tariff escalation, dispersion and peaks can be mitigated by applying the tariff reduction methods proposed in the Second Draft Text. Tariff reductions give rise to the effects of reducing tariff escalation problem and the effects are stronger for the commodities with higher tariff rates and in developed countries. The average tariff rate for tariff peak commodities is reduced by 40% in developing countries and by 60% in developed countries. Tariff dispersion is also mitigated by reducing tariff rates. The difference of the average tariff rate between Korea and Australia is reduced to 38.5% from 59.8% by cutting tariff rates with the rules proposed in the second Draft Text. Korea needs to prepare the Country Schedule in advance to evaluate the potential outcome of the tariff cut following the Draft Text and to capture various voices from producers, consumers and other related institutions. For the preparation of the Country Schedule, Korea needs to decide minimum tariff cut items within a group of the commodity classified by tariff rates and this procedure requires discussion among producer and consumer groups.

Estimation of Trade Protection in Middle East and North African Countries

This paper studies the structure and evolution of trade protection in the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries in the 1990s. MENA countries use tariffs and nontariff barriers, and tariff dispersion and nontariff barriers, as substitute protection measures. Tariff levels and tariff dispersion are complements. Excluding Tunisia, the cross-country correlation between tariff and nontariff barriers is -0.46. The correlation between tariff dispersion and nontariff barriers is -0.8. The paper also develops an overall index of trade protection and finds that tariff levels, their dispersion, and nontariff barriers account for 60 percent, 10 percent, and 30 percent of overall protection, respectively.

Estimation of Trade Protection in Middle East and North African Countries

This paper studies the structure and evolution of trade protection in the Middle East and North African (MENA) countries in the 1990s. MENA countries use tariffs and nontariff barriers, and tariff dispersion and nontariff barriers, as substitute protection measures. Tariff levels and tariff dispersion are complements. Excluding Tunisia, the cross-country correlation between tariff and nontariff barriers is -0.46. The correlation between tariff dispersion and nontariff barriers is -0.8. The paper also develops an overall index of trade protection and finds that tariff levels, their dispersion, and nontariff barriers account for 60 percent, 10 percent, and 30 percent of overall protection, respectively.

Chapter 2 legal considerations

In this paper we improve on existing tariff aggregation techniques in applied equilibrium models (AEM) with the aim of correcting for two sources of bias in simulated welfare results: (1) aggregation over exporter regions with significant tariff dispersion and (2) variable tariff rates determined by Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) regimes. Both aspects seem important due to an increasing number of bilateral FTAs which drive up tariff divergence across countries and tend to apply TRQs, at least temporarily. We demonstrate that the proposed aggregation technique can handle both tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade by combining a number of tariff indexes in a modified trade balance condition in a welfare-consistent manner. Additionally, different rent-allocation shares for TRQs can be easily introduced in our methodological extension. We also address the implications of some rather strict behavioral assumptions with regard to demand that welfare consistent aggregation requires. An empirical analysis of the Korean dairy market in the EU–South Korea FTA using the proposed method shows that simulated welfare gains are largely affected by the tariff aggregation technique over regions and trade policy instruments. Based on this finding we recommend the more widespread application of welfare consistent tariff aggregation in applied modeling and further research on that topic.

Tariff Dispersion and Trade Negotiations

Tariff Dispersion and Trade Negotiations