Tariffs, and Non-Tariff Barriers

Abstract

This chapter is concerned with what is called the theory of commercial policy in the broad sense. The traditional theory focused on tariffs, starting from two principles generally accepted until the first world war. These were: (a) that impediments to international trade for protectionist purposes should be limited to tariffs, and (b) that no commercial discrimination between supplier countries should be instituted, in the sense that, if a tariff is levied on some imported commodity, it should be applied at the same rate and to all imports of that commodity independently of the supplying country.