tariff

Tax or duty placed on goods when they are imported into a country or trading bloc (such as the European Union) from outside. The aim of tariffs is to reduce imports by making them more expensive.

Organizations such as the EU, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), and the World Trade Organization (WTO) have worked towards mutual lowering of tariffs among countries. Tariffs have generally been used by governments to protect home industries from lower-priced foreign goods, and have been opposed by supporters of free trade. For a tariff to be successful, it must not provoke retaliatory tariffs from other countries.