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The purpose of this indicator is to use import tariff data to allow for observing at which pace the multilateral system is advancing toward the implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access.

Average import tariffs (in per cent) faced by products exported from developing countries and least developed countries.

Ministry of Finance

Ministry of Finance

Annual

Percentage (%)

The average level of customs tariff rates faced by developing countries and LDCs allows observing at which pace the multilateral system is advancing toward the implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access.

Tariffs: Tariffs are customs duties on merchandise imports, levied either on an ad valorem basis (percentage of value) or on a specific basis (e.g. $7 per 100 kg). Tariffs can be used to create a price advantage for similar locally-produced goods and for raising government revenues. Trade remedy measures and taxes are not considered to be tariffs. Tariff in HS chapters 01-97 is taken into consideration.

Tariff line or National Tariff lines (NTL): National Tariff Line codes refer to the classification codes, applied to merchandise goods by individual countries that are longer than the HS six-digit level. Countries are free to introduce national distinctions for tariffs and many other purposes.

The national tariff line codes are based on the HS system but are longer than six digits. For example, the six-digit HS code 010120 refers to Asses, mules and hinnies, live, whereas the US National Tariff line code 010120.10 refers to live purebred breeding asses, 010120.20 refers to live asses other than purebred breeding asses and 010120.30 refers to mules and hinnies imported for immediate slaughter.

is by product sector (e.g. Agriculture, Textile, Environmental goods), geographical regions and country income level (e.g. Developed, Developing, LDCs).

Some tariff rates which are not expressed in ad valorem form (e.g., specific duties) need to be converted in ad valorem equivalents (i.e. in per cent of the import value). The conversion is made at the tariff line level for each importer by using the unit value method. Import unit values are calculated from import values and quantities. Only a limited number of non-ad valorem tariff rates (i.e. technical duties) cannot be provided with ad valorem equivalents (AVE) and are excluded from the calculation. This methodology also allows for cross-country comparisons.

A proxy of the level of commitment of developed country to improve market access conditions.

Tariffs are only part of the trade limitation factors to the implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access, especially when looking at exports of developing or least developed countries under non-reciprocal preferential treatment that set criteria for eligibility. Accurate estimates on non-tariff measures do not exist, thus the calculations on market access are limited to tariffs only. A full coverage of preferential schemes of developed countries has been used for the computation, but preferential treatment may not be fully used by developing countries' exporters for different reasons such as the inability of certain exporters to meet eligibility criteria (i.e., complying with rules of origin)."

All the metadata shown in this document was gathered from United Nation Statistics Division. The metadata was extracted from https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/.