How Australia’s Tariffs on Imports Affect Its Economy and Trade

Australia is one of the world’s most open economies, with a low average tariff rate of 2.6% and a free trade agreement with the United States that eliminates tariffs on 99% of U.S.-origin goods. However, Australia also imposes tariffs on some imports, especially those that are carbon-intensive or compete with domestic industries. In this article, we will explore the reasons, impacts and challenges of Australia’s tariffs on imports.

Tariffs Effects On The Economy

Tariffs are taxes that are levied on imported goods, usually to protect domestic producers from foreign competition or to raise government revenue. Tariffs can have various effects on the economy and trade, depending on their level, coverage and structure. Some of the possible effects are:

Tariffs increase the price of imported goods, making them less attractive to consumers and reducing the quantity demanded.
Tariffs reduce the price of domestic goods relative to imported goods, increasing the quantity supplied by domestic producers and creating a domestic surplus.
Tariffs create a deadweight loss, which is the reduction in economic welfare due to the inefficient allocation of resources. This is because tariffs distort the market signals and create a wedge between the price paid by consumers and the price received by producers.
Tariffs generate government revenue, which can be used to fund public goods or services, or to reduce other taxes.
Tariffs affect the terms of trade, which is the ratio of export prices to import prices. A higher tariff can improve the terms of trade for the importing country, as it can buy more foreign goods with the same amount of domestic goods. However, this effect may be offset by retaliation from trading partners or changes in exchange rates.
Tariffs affect the balance of trade, which is the difference between exports and imports. A higher tariff can reduce imports and improve the balance of trade for the importing country, but this effect may be offset by lower exports due to reduced foreign demand or lower domestic production.

Australia’s Tariffs On Imports

Australia’s tariffs on imports vary by product and country of origin. According to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Australia’s simple average applied tariff rate was 2.6% in 2020, which was lower than the global average of 7.5%. However, some products faced higher tariffs, such as clothing (11.9%), footwear (10%), dairy products (4.7%) and motor vehicles (4.6%). Moreover, some countries faced higher tariffs than others, depending on whether they had a preferential trade agreement with Australia or not.

Protect Its Domestic Industries

One of the main reasons for Australia’s tariffs on imports is to protect its domestic industries from foreign competition, especially those that are carbon-intensive or face high environmental standards. For example, Australia imposes tariffs on cement, steel and aluminum imports from countries that have lower climate goals or carbon prices than Australia. This is to avoid disadvantaging its domestic producers who have to comply with higher environmental regulations or pay higher carbon taxes. Australia is also considering following the European Union in imposing carbon border adjustment mechanisms (CBAMs), which are tariffs that adjust for the carbon content of imported goods.

Raise Government Revenue

Another reason for Australia’s tariffs on imports is to raise government revenue or support specific policy objectives. For example, Australia imposes tariffs on tobacco products (69%) and alcoholic beverages (5%) to discourage consumption and improve public health. Australia also imposes tariffs on luxury cars (33%) to collect revenue from wealthy consumers.

However, Australia’s tariffs on imports also face some challenges and criticisms. Some of the challenges are:

Tariffs may harm consumers by increasing their cost of living and reducing their choice of goods.
Tariffs may harm producers by increasing their cost of inputs and reducing their competitiveness in export markets.
Tariffs may harm the environment by encouraging more domestic production of carbon-intensive goods or discouraging more efficient foreign production.
Tariffs may harm trade relations by provoking retaliation from trading partners or violating WTO rules.

Some of the criticisms are:

Tariffs may not be effective in protecting domestic industries if they are not accompanied by other measures such as innovation, investment or education.
Tariffs may not be fair if they discriminate against certain countries or products without a clear justification or compensation.
Tariffs may not be transparent if they are not clearly communicated or reported to the public or trading partners.

Australia’s tariffs on imports affect its economy and trade in various ways, depending on their level, coverage and structure. While tariffs may have some benefits for domestic producers, government revenue or policy objectives, they may also have some costs for consumers, exporters, environment or trade relations. Therefore, Australia needs to balance its interests and obligations when designing and implementing its tariff policy.

How Australian Tariffs on Imports Affect the Global Demand

Australia is a major importer of goods such as cement, steel, and aluminum, which are carbon-intensive products that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. In order to reduce its carbon footprint and meet its climate goals, Australia is considering imposing tariffs on these imports from countries with lower climate ambitions. These tariffs, also known as border carbon adjustments or green tariffs, are intended to level the playing field for domestic producers who face higher costs due to Australia’s carbon pricing scheme.

The Impact of Tariffs on Importers and Exporters

The imposition of tariffs on carbon-intensive imports would have significant implications for both importers and exporters of these goods. For importers, such as China, India, and Indonesia, the tariffs would increase the price of their exports to Australia, making them less competitive in the Australian market. This could reduce their export revenues and profits, as well as their incentives to invest in cleaner technologies. For exporters, such as Australia’s domestic producers of cement, steel, and aluminum, the tariffs would provide a protection from cheaper imports that do not reflect the environmental costs of production. This could increase their market share and profits, as well as their incentives to innovate and improve their efficiency.

The Effect of Tariffs on Global Demand

The effect of tariffs on global demand for carbon-intensive goods depends on several factors, such as the elasticity of demand and supply, the availability of substitutes, and the reactions of other countries. In general, tariffs tend to reduce the quantity demanded and increase the quantity supplied of the affected goods in the importing country, leading to a surplus. This surplus is then exported to other countries, lowering the global price and increasing the global quantity demanded. However, this effect may be offset by other factors, such as:

The demand for carbon-intensive goods may be relatively inelastic, meaning that consumers do not respond much to changes in price. This could limit the reduction in quantity demanded in Australia and the increase in quantity demanded elsewhere.
The supply of carbon-intensive goods may be relatively inelastic, meaning that producers do not respond much to changes in price. This could limit the increase in quantity supplied in Australia and the reduction in quantity supplied elsewhere.
There may be few substitutes for carbon-intensive goods, meaning that consumers and producers have limited options to switch to other products. This could limit the substitution effect of tariffs.
Other countries may retaliate by imposing their own tariffs on Australian exports or by taking legal action against Australia at the World Trade Organization. This could escalate trade tensions and reduce trade flows between countries.

The Implications for Global Emissions

The implications of tariffs on global emissions are also uncertain and depend on the net effect of tariffs on global demand and supply of carbon-intensive goods. If tariffs reduce global demand more than global supply, then global emissions would decrease. However, if tariffs reduce global supply more than global demand, then global emissions would increase. This is because the reduction in supply would shift production from more efficient producers to less efficient producers who emit more per unit of output. Therefore, tariffs may not be an effective tool to reduce global emissions unless they are accompanied by other measures, such as:

International cooperation and coordination on climate policies and standards
Technology transfer and financial assistance to developing countries
Promotion of low-carbon alternatives and innovation

References:

https://cbe.anu.edu.au/researchpapers/CEH/WP202301.pdf

https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/280249/files/ajar12070.pdf

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/15/steel-and-cement-imports-from-countries-with-lower-climate-goals-may-be-hit-by-carbon-tariffs-labor-says?trk=public_post_comment-text
https://www.producer.com/markets/china-officially-lifts-tariff-on-australian-barley-imports/
https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/australia-import-tariffs
https://www.abf.gov.au/importing-exporting-and-manufacturing/tariff-classification/current-tariff

https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/australia-import-tariffs

https://www.abf.gov.au/importing-exporting-and-manufacturing/tariff-classification

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/15/steel-and-cement-imports-from-countries-with-lower-climate-goals-may-be-hit-by-carbon-tariffs-labor-says

https://www.producer.com/markets/china-officially-lifts-tariff-on-australian-barley-imports/