Trade war or trade bargain?

The Australian Trade weighted average tariff rate, is higher again than that of the European Union. This is not because of Agricultural policy. The trade weighted level of agricultural tariff in Australia is lower than that of either the United States or the European Union. Australia has a higher rate protection against imported manufacturing products. This includes a higher import tariff on cars that we don't make any more. This gives us a slightly higher rate of import tariff on non-agricultural products than China.

China, the second largest economy in the world, has a higher average import tariff (trade weighted) level than either the United States, the European Union or Australia. In spite of being the world's largest manufacturing economy, China has a higher rate of protection on non-agricultural (manufacturing) products than the United States or the European Union. The real stand out though is Chinese agricultural tariffs. These are higher than even those of the European Union. China appears to keep these high rates of import tariffs because, in times past, it was an emerging economy. It is safe to say that as the world's second largest economy, it has now "emerged".

India is the world's fastest growing major economy. In current dollar terms it has the seventh largest economy in the world. It also has the highest average tariff level trade of the five WTO members in the table. India's average trade weighted level of tariff is around three times that of the United States. Its trade weighted level of agricultural tariff is ten times that of the United States and fifteen times that of Australia. Perhaps, we as Australians, can only justify this high level of protection from India, because they have such a good cricket team.

Conclusion

Poorly informed public debate would suggest that the USA has recently embarked upon a "Trade War "against other important members of the World Trade Organisation. Closer examination shows that the US has a lower average import tariff trade weighted average import tariff than either the European Union, Australia, China or India.

The American President has talked about dumping duties and raising tariffs to levels which mirror those of the European Union and China. Another solution might be that the European Union and China reduce their import tariffs down to the lower level, that the US charges them, for importing their products.

Perhaps the Europeans and the Chinese might bring actual sincerity to the debate on international trade rather the pretend sincerity of Jean-Claude Juncker.