1. Presentation on External trade by tariff regime
Evangelos Pongas
Eurostat - Unit G5
Workshop of "Best practices exchanges"Luxembourg, 25th & 26th January 2010

2. Outline of the presentation
Background information
Existing databases and contents
Compilation issues
Data access and presentation/analytical issues
Presentation of Unit G5

3. Who does what
Commission is responsible of the EU commercial policy (external trade issues)
Several directorates are involved (TRADE, TAXUD, AGRI etc.)
Main activities cover: commercial negotiations at international level, elaboration of legal acts for extra imports and exports, monitoring of trade, antidumping policy etc.
National custom authorities are responsible for the implementation and the collection of duties
Presentation of Unit G5

4. Import tariff types
Non dutiable trade (tariff is zero). Often called MFN zero
Dutiable trade (tariff is not zero). Often called MFN non zero
Variations of (dutiable trade) tariffs (reduced or zero) depending on the origin and the products. Two main categories exist:
Generalized system of preferences (GSP).
Other preferences
MFN: Most Favoured Nations
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5. Existing databases
EUROSTAT - COMEXT: Contains extra imports by type of tariff requested during importation (MFN or preferential)
TAXUD – TARIC database: Among other contains detailed information about tariffs
The Comext dataset “trade by tariff regime” combines the data of both above data sources:
TARIC showing the eligibility of importing a product under a specific regime (preferential mainly)
Comext showing how and if the facility foreseen by TARIC was used in practice (Import regime).
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6. Some examples - 0
An import of a specific product from a specific country was GSP eligible (according TARIC reduced or zero duty ) but in practice the import was realized (according COMEXT) under MFN regime. This often happens because some origin certificates are missing or not properly issued.
The unknown item in the eligibility dimension refers to product/partner countries for which information in TARIC could not be found
The unknown item in the use dimension refers to product/partner country for which a join with TARIC could not be done (confidential codes for example) or to trade that preferential information was wrong or missing
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7. Some examples - 1 Presentation of Unit G5 import regime eligibility
Dimension: DECLARANT - EU - EU MEMBER STATES- EVOLUTIVE (EU15 UNTIL 30/04/2004, EU25 UNTIL 31/12/2006, EU27 SINCE 01/01/2007).
Dimension: PARTNER - MY - MALAYSIA.
Dimension: PRODUCT - TOTAL - TOTAL.
Dimension: STAT_REGIME - all - all.
Dimension: PERIOD Jan.-Dec
Dimension: INDICATOR - - .
import regime eligibility
MFN ZERO
MFN NON ZERO
ANY PREFERENCE ZERO
ANY PREFERENCE NON ZERO
UNKNOWN
sum
ONLY MFN
GSP AND/OR PREFERENCES
134360
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8. Some examples – 1b Presentation of Unit G5 import regime eligibility
Dimension: DECLARANT - EU - EU MEMBER STATES- EVOLUTIVE (EU15 UNTIL 30/04/2004, EU25 UNTIL 31/12/2006, EU27 SINCE 01/01/2007).
Dimension: PARTNER - MY - MALAYSIA.
Dimension: PRODUCT - TOTAL - TOTAL.
Dimension: STAT_REGIME - all - all.
Dimension: PERIOD Jan.-Dec
Dimension: INDICATOR - - .
import regime eligibility
MFN ZERO
MFN NON ZERO
ANY PREFERENCE ZERO
ANY PREFERENCE NON ZERO
UNKNOWN
sum
ONLY MFN
63.6%
4.3%
67.9%
GSP AND/OR PREFERENCES
10.9%
10.7%
6.2%
0.9%
28.7%
3.4%
15.3%
100.0%
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9. Some examples – 2 Presentation of Unit G5 import regime eligibility
Dimension: DECLARANT - EU - EU MEMBER STATES- EVOLUTIVE (EU15 UNTIL 30/04/2004, EU25 UNTIL 31/12/2006, EU27 SINCE 01/01/2007).
Dimension: PARTNER - JP - JAPAN.
Dimension: PRODUCT - TOTAL - TOTAL.
Dimension: STAT_REGIME - all - all.
Dimension: PERIOD Jan.-Dec
Dimension: INDICATOR - - .
import regime eligibility
MFN ZERO
MFN NON ZERO
ANY PREFERENCE ZERO
ANY PREFERENCE NON ZERO
UNKNOWN
sum
ONLY MFN
45.3%
52.5%
97.9%
GSP AND/OR PREFERENCES
2.1%
100.0%
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10. Some examples – 3 Presentation of Unit G5 import regime eligibility
Dimension: DECLARANT - EU - EU MEMBER STATES- EVOLUTIVE (EU15 UNTIL 30/04/2004, EU25 UNTIL 31/12/2006, EU27 SINCE 01/01/2007).
Dimension: PARTNER - US - UNITED STATES
Dimension: PRODUCT - TOTAL - TOTAL.
Dimension: STAT_REGIME - all - all.
Dimension: PERIOD Jan.-Dec
Dimension: INDICATOR - - .
import regime eligibility
MFN ZERO
MFN NON ZERO
ANY PREFERENCE ZERO
ANY PREFERENCE NON ZERO
UNKNOWN
sum
ONLY MFN
64.9%
28.0%
92.9%
GSP AND/OR PREFERENCES
0.0%
7.1%
100.0%
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