The description of the tariffs imposed by each economy on its imports is complemented with an analysis of the market access conditions it faces in its major export markets. The publication provides a comprehensive picture of tariff and ad valorem equivalents in an abridged format.

This joint publication of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) is aimed at both specialists and non-specialists alike. Numbers play a fundamental role in key areas of trade negotiations. Perhaps more than in any previous multilateral round of trade negotiations, “tariffs” and “formulas” have been at the core of the Doha negotiations.

The standardized presentation allows for analyses and comparisons between countries and sectors and between bound and applied duties for WTO members. However, a number of caveats apply when information is highly aggregated and when estimates are used for calculating ad valorem equivalents of non-ad valorem duties. The reader is advised to read the methodological notes that precede the statistical tables. The standard Harmonized System (HS) nomenclature breakdown was chosen as the yardstick for most calculations so as to avoid the very diverse breakdowns of national tariff line nomenclatures affecting the comparability between bound and applied duties and across countries.

The publication is presented in three main parts. The first part shows summary statistics for all countries and territories for all products, as well as a breakdown into agricultural and non-agricultural products. The second part shows one full page for each of these countries and territories, with disaggregation by sectors and duty ranges. It also contains a section on the market access conditions faced in their respective major export markets. The third part looks at the impact of the changes in the HS on WTO members' schedules and includes a summary table on concessions on other duties and charges (ODCs).