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- Title
The Impact of the Industrial Countries' Tariff Structure on their Imports of Manufactures from Less-Developed Areas.
- Authors
Balassa, Bela
- Abstract
The findings of this article provide empirical support for the proposition that the structure of protection in the industrial countries is biased against the imports of manufactured goods from less-developed areas. On the one hand, tariffs tend to rise with the degree of fabrication; on the other, manufactured goods of interest to developing countries bear higher duties--nominal as well as effective--than the technologically-sophisticated products traded among the industrial nations. <BR> The results also indicate that developing countries have advantages in producing standardized commodities which are either labor-intensive or utilize domestic materials and do not require sophisticated technology and managerial skills. In view of the decline in the share of primary commodities in world trade, these commodities have to assume increasing importance in the exports of developing countries if they are to accelerate their economic growth. <BR> Accordingly, to conform to the changing pattern of comparative advantage and to contribute to the development process, industrial countries would have to equalize their trade barriers in a downward direction. These actions would make it possible for the less-developed countries to provide an increasing share of the imports--and the domestic consumption--of simple manufactures in industrial countries.
- Subjects
TARIFF; DEVELOPED countries; IMPORTS; MANUFACTURED products; DEVELOPING countries; INTERNATIONAL trade
- Publication
Economica, 1967, Vol 34, Issue 136, p372
- ISSN
0013-0427
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2307/2552089