Introduction:
International Trade policies deal with the policies of the national governments relating to exports of various goods and services in various countries either on equal terms and conditions or on discriminatory terms and conditions. Trade policies also aim at protecting the domestic industry from the competition of the advanced countries through imposing quotas and build competencies by providing subsidies. All countries are dependent on other countries for some products and services as no country can ever hope to be self-reliant in all respects. There are countries having abundance of natural resources like minerals and oil but are deficient in having technology to process them into finished goods. Then there are countries that are facing shortage of manpower and services. All such shortcomings can be overcome through international trade. Though it seems easy, in reality, importing goods from foreign countries at cheap prices hits domestic producers badly. As such, countries impose taxes on goods coming from abroad to make their cost comparable with domestic goods. These are called tariff barriers. Then there are non-tariff barriers also that serve as impediments in free international trade.
Tariff Barriers
Tariffs are taxes that are put in place not only to protect infant industries at home, but also to prevent unemployment because of shut down of domestic industries. This leads to unrest among the masses and an unhappy electorate which is not a favourable thing for any government. Secondly, tariffs provide a source of revenue to the government though consumers are denied their right to enjoy goods at a cheaper price. There are specific tariffs that are a one-time tax levied on goods. This is different for goods in different categories. There are Ad Valorem tariffs that are a ploy to keep imported goods pricier. This is done to protect domestic