The extent of non tariff barriers to industrial countries' imports

Abstract

This paper examines the extent of non-tariffs barriers to sixteen industrial countries' imports. Using three alternative measures it shows that governmental commodity-specific border-measures affect 27% of all imports and over 34% of imports from developing countries. It also shows that during the period 1981-1983,NTBs became significantly more extensive. Detailed statistics reveal considerable variations in NTB coverage by commodity, type of barrier, importer and exporter. The data on which these conclusions are based are compiled from official information at the finest level of disaggregation; they are described in the paper