tariff rates

[Doug Henwood]

A few posts ago I wondered how relevant just a few pennies tariff
differential was to the project of admitting Chile to NAFTA. Actually it's
less than a penny on a dollar. Here are the effective tariff rates for the
top 40 U.S. trading partners, computed from data on the US International
Trade Commission web site <http://www.usitc.gov/>; the stat report is in
spreadsheet form at <ftp://ftp.usitc.gov/pub/reports/studies/TRADSTAT.EXE>.
In 1996, the duty on imports from Mexico was 0.65%; from Chile, 1.18%. For
all U.S. trade, the average was 2.28%. No wonder the trade negotiators have
moved beyond tariffs and onto investment treaties.

Doug

effective tariff rates for top 40 US trading partners, 1996
(customs collected as percent of imports)

1         Canada                      0.22%
2         Japan                       2.53%
3         Mexico                      0.65%
4         China                       5.46%
5         Germany                     2.76%
6         Taiwan                      4.10%
7         United Kingdom              1.82%
8         South Korea                 3.52%
9         Singapore                   0.90%
10        Italy                       5.06%
11        France                      2.34%
12        Malaysia                    1.31%
13        Venezuela                   0.54%
14        Thailand                    3.49%
15        Saudi Arabia                0.67%
16        Hong Kong                   8.54%
17        Brazil                      3.54%
18        Philippines                 4.14%
19        Indonesia                   5.78%
20        Switzerland                 2.82%
21        Sweden                      2.39%
22        Belgium                     1.92%
23        Netherlands                 2.09%
24        Israel                      0.08%
25        India                       5.06%
26        Nigeria                     0.34%
27        Ireland                     0.98%
28        Colombia                    1.05%
29        Spain                       4.51%
30        Norway                      0.77%
31        Australia                   1.88%
32        Dominican Republic          3.97%
33        Russia                      1.36%
34        Angola                      0.41%
35        Finland                     2.07%
36        South Africa                1.17%
37        Chile                       1.18%
38        Argentina                   1.72%
39        Algeria                     0.39%
40        Denmark                     1.98%

          total                       2.28%