Okuzeka
International Trade vocabulary · Trade Agreements and Policy

Non-tariff barrier

Meaning in international trade, with examples

nounCommon term

In international trade, non-tariff barrier means: Any obstacle to imports other than customs duties, such as quotas, licensing rules, technical standards or complicated paperwork.

In Turkish: tarife dışı engel, tarife dışı ticaret engeli

How it is used

Used in trade policy, market studies and export planning: 'face non-tariff barriers', 'remove non-tariff barriers'. Shortened to NTB. Some, such as safety and health rules, have legitimate aims, but they still add cost and time for exporters.

Example sentences

  1. Duties are low in that market, but non-tariff barriers such as certification make entry difficult.

  2. The report lists labelling rules as the main non-tariff barrier for food exporters.

Common collocations

  • face non-tariff barriers
  • remove non-tariff barriers
  • technical barriers to trade
  • non-tariff measures
  • tariffA tax charged by a government on imported goods, usually as a percentage of their value; also the official list of these rates.
  • quotaA limit on the quantity or value of a product that may be imported or exported in a certain period.
  • WTOWorld Trade Organization: the international organization based in Geneva that sets the rules for trade between its member countries and helps settle trade disputes.
  • export licenseAn official permission from a government that a company needs before it can export certain controlled goods, such as dual-use items, military goods or some chemicals.

More terms: Trade Agreements and Policy

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: