Tariff Implementation Issues – Issues with
Special Agricultural Safeguards

Communication from the United States

The following communication, received on 31 March 2021, is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of the United States.

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1.1.  In July 2018, the United States submitted a communication to the World Trade Organization (JOB/AG/141) noting the need for more trade to improve global welfare, help producers, and address the challenges of sustainably feeding a growing world population. The communication also noted that tariffs remain much higher in the agricultural sector than in other sectors, tariff reductions have contributed to the welfare gains from trade, and locking in tariff reductions can contribute further to global welfare.

1.2.  The US communication identified six areas of the market access pillar where further analysis of Members' current implementation of tariffs should be considered by Members in order to better understand Members' current tariff regimes. The areas included: (i) bound versus applied tariffs, (ii) complex tariffs, (iii) high tariffs (e.g., tariff peaks), (iv) issues with tariff rate quotas (TRQs), (v) special agricultural safeguards (SSGs), and (vi) regional/preferential trade agreements. The United States has since provided a detailed analysis on tariff treatment as it relates to bound versus applied tariffs (JOB/AG/147), complex tariffs (JOB/AG/164), tariff peaks (JOB/AG/167), and TRQs (JOB/AG/169).