THE DOHA ROUND AGRICULTURAL TARIFF-CUTTING FORMULAE AND TARIFF ESCALATION

摘要: Tariff escalation, the phenomenon where tariffs rise along processing chain, is a longstanding market access issue, especially for developing countries in view of urgency them to develop value-adding, industries. In ongoing agricultural negotiations, there an agreement among WTO Members “effectively” address issue. How this going be done, however, has not as yet been discussed concrete manner. With objective contributing technical inputs process, study quantifies, selected product pairs and markets, changes tariff escalation following application three recent tariff-cutting formulae proposed by G-20, EU US, discusses some negotiating options. On former, it finds that all reduce considerably, but do eliminate gaps. question how may addressed over above reductions resulting from formula cuts, analysis agreements have reached on two key building blocks. One, whatever identified, listing processed products their corresponding primary required applying formula. These could 20-25 products, about 100 lines, 150-200 lines products. Two, would needed threshold, or de minimis level, within which contain identified. The level be, example, 5 percentage points wedge between developed 10 countries. It will then relatively straightforward determine adjustment factors reduction rates, rates. An alternative idea, negotiate single factor multiple, 2003 Harbinson text, found fraught with problems.