Agricultural Tariff Rate Quotas as a Developement Instrument

This paper discusses tariff rate quotas (TRQs) as a way of enhancing market access for developing country agricultural exports. Using the EU as a case study, it examines the extent to which developing countries have been able to make use of existing TRQs to gain access to the EU market. Many countries have proposed that TRQs should be increased within the framework of current negotiations on further agricultural trade liberalisation. Some countries have also proposed that TRQs might be administered preferentially to favour some or all developing countries. The economic and legal issues arising from an increase in TRQs are evaluated. It is concluded that MFN tariff reductions should be the principal market access objective of developing countries in the negotiations.