For basic information on the use of agricultural tariffs and the World Trade Organization (WTO), see the
tariffs and market access chapter in the ERS' WTO briefing room.
For an overview of market access levels established by the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture, see Profiles of Tariffs in Global Agricultural Markets. The ERS report notes that high protection for agricultural commodities in the form of tariffs continues to be the major factor restricting world trade. Wide differences in average tariffs across countries mean, for example, that farmers in an importing country benefit from tariff protection while farmers in exporting countries lose income because of lower sales resulting from those tariffs. This report provides the first comprehensive analysis of agricultural tariffs and tariff-rate quotas (effective limits on imported goods) across a large number of countries and commodities, and finds that average tariffs are high, likely creating barriers to markets for U.S. and other farmers.
Back to Overview for WTO Tariff Levels
Back to WTO Agricultural Trade Policy Commitments Database
