Tariff Rate Quotas: A Market Access Barrier for Developing Countries Products? The Case of Switzerland

At present WTO member countries use a total of 1425 tariff rate quotas (TRQs) on agricultural products. The implementation of TRQs was envisaged, among other things, as a means to improve market access for developing countries’ exports. Since most of the developing countries are potentially large exporters of agricultural products and market access opportunities for exporters from developing countries are strongly dependent on the administration of TRQs, the administration of TRQs are a matter of concern for these countries. Using Switzerland as a case study, this paper discusses whether tariff rate quotas enhance or discriminate against market access for developing country agricultural exports. Classification: Tariff rate quotas, developing countries, agriculture 1 Research Associate, SIAW-HSG, Dufourstr. 48, Universität St. Gallen, CH 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland Email: sangeeta.khorana@unisg.ch The author wishes to thank the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) for the funding support for this project. The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SECO or any other organisation.