General
What are the unique features of the trade
policy commitments database?
When are the data updated?
Where are the original sources of the data?
How do I create a custom query?
What are the report styles?
How do I save my query results?
Domestic Support Notifications
Why is there no table DS:2 in the domestic
support notifications database?
Tariff Levels
What is the difference between in-quota and
over-quota tariff rates?
What is the difference between commodity
category, commodity group, and commodity subgroup?
Why are there no commodity aggregations
for tariff-rate quota data?
How were tariff averages calculated?
Q. What are the unique features of the trade policy
commitments database?
A. While raw data on a particular country's domestic
support, export subsidies, and tariffs are available from
other sources, this queriable database compiles the data
into comparable cross-country formats. For the domestic
support and export subsidies, data are organized for comparison
across countries for particular years, and across years
for particular countries. For tariffs, the database converts
data from various sources into a comparable percentage format,
and organizes the data across countries for various commodities.
The database offers various options for viewing and downloading
the data.
Q. When are the data updated?
A. Export subsidy and domestic support notifications.
World Trade Organization (WTO) member countries generally
submit documents on export subsidies and domestic support
(notifications) to the WTO on an annual basis. While countries
are supposed to submit notifying documents each year, there
is a lag between the end of a specific year and that year's
associated notification. The databases will be updated periodically;
the date of the most recent update is noted within the export
subsidy and domestic support Documentation, Standard, and
Custom tabs. To obtain more recent country notifications,
users will need to visit the WTO website (see the export
subsidy and domestic support More Info tab).
Tariff levels. The tariff level data on
WTO bound tariffs and tariff-rate quotas are the maximum
allowable tariff rates scheduled by WTO members. As such,
these rates will not change unless tariffs are reduced in
future trade negotiations. Applied tariff data will be updated
annually to reflect the most recently available applied
tariff data as annual tariff schedules become available.
The date of the most recent update is noted within the tariff
levels Documentation tabs.
Q. Where are the original sources of the data?
A. Export subsidy and domestic support notifications.
The original data are available in notifications submitted
to the WTO by member countries. See the More Info tabs of
the export
subsidy and domestic
support databases for information on downloading country
notifications from the WTO website.
Tariff levels. The original data are available
on the WTO website from members' goods
schedules. Applied tariff data are compiled from a variety
of sources, including the Agricultural
Market Access Database, the United Nations Conference
on Trade and Development's Trade
Analysis and Information System, and the U.S.
International Trade Commission.
Q. How do I create a custom query?
A. For users who are familiar with WTO notifications
and tariffs data and want more detailed information than
the standard tables provide, all three databases offer the
option of running custom queries on the data. To specify
a custom query, from the Overview tab of the export
subsidy, domestic support,
or tariff levels
databases, select the Custom tab and follow the instructions
below. The custom query screen varies for each of the databases,
reflecting underlying differences in the data.
Export subsidy notifications. The Custom
tab allows you to choose the type of data to query, the
year(s) and country(ies), and the report style for your
results. Select which type of data to query: "Expenditure
(outlays) on export subsidies" or "Quantity of subsidized
exports," using the selection buttons. Based on your choice
of data type, the available years and countries for the
data will be reflected in the "Year" and "Country" selection
boxes. Next, choose a "Report style"
from the pull-down box. If you do not choose a report style,
the query results will be presented in the standard report
style. To see your results, click on the "Submit" button.
Information may be incomplete in some cases, resulting in
blank or zero fields. The database includes only data submitted
by individual countries in their notification for that year.
Domestic support notifications. The Custom
tab allows you to choose the type of data to query, the
year(s) and country(ies), and the report style for your
results. For some of the data series (DS:4 through DS:8),
you may also specify commodity categories. Select which
type of data to query using the selection buttons:
DS:1 Measures exempt from the reduction commitment -
Green Box
DS:3 Measures exempt from the reduction commitment -
Direct payments under production-limiting programs
DS:4 Calculation of the Current Total Aggregate Measurement
of Support (AMS)
DS:5 Product-Specific Aggregate Measurements of Support
(AMS): Market Price Support
DS:6 Product-Specific Aggregate Measurements of Support
(AMS): Non-exempt Direct Payments
DS:7 Product-Specific Aggregate Measurements of Support
(AMS): Other Product-Specific Support and Total
Product-Specific Support
DS:8 Product-Specific Aggregate Measurements of Support
(AMS): Equivalent Measures of Support
DS:9 Non-Product-Specific Aggregate Measurements of
Support (AMS)
Table of Exchange Rates
Based on your choice of data type, the available years,
countries, and commodity categories for the data will be
reflected in the "Year," "Country," and "Commodity category"
selection boxes. Next, choose a "Report style"
from the pull-down box. If you do not choose a report style,
the query results will be presented in the standard report
style. To see your results, click on the "Submit" button.
Information may be incomplete in some cases, resulting in
blank or zero fields. The database includes only data submitted
by individual countries in their notification for that year.
Tariff levels. The Custom tab allows you
to choose the type of data to query, the country, rate type,
and for bound and applied tariffs, the commodity group.
Select which type of data to query: "WTO bound tariffs,"
"Tariff-rate quotas," or "Applied tariffs" using the selection
buttons.
Based on your choice of data type, the available country
data will be reflected in the "Country" selection box.
For WTO bound tariff and applied tariff data, select
the commodity category(ies) and, under "Rate types," select
the tariffs by either commodity group or
commodity subgroup. For tariff-rate quota data, under
"Rate types," select in-quota, over-quota,
or hold down the shift key and select both average tariff
rates.
For all three types of data (bound, applied, and TRQs),
choose a "Report style" from the pull-down
box. If you do not choose a report style, the query results
will be presented in the standard report style.
To see your results, click on the "submit" button.
Q. What are the report styles?
A. The report style provides several options for
the layout of your query results. The choices vary depending
on the database you are using. As a general rule, the standard
option presents the results with each row containing one
data observation. The other options organize the data in
categories. For example, setting the report style to "Country"
in all three databases will group the results by countries
selected. Year, commodity, and rate type are other report
styles, depending on the database. Once a query is run and
a table of results generated, you may use the "Report Settings"
header at the top of the results page to change the report
style, without resubmitting the query.
Q. How do I save my query results?
A. After you submit a query, the results page displays
your data and contains a "Report Settings" heading at the
top of the page. The right-hand section includes options
under "Output File Type" for saving your query results.
Three options are available: comma-delimited, tab-delimited,
and html file. Comma-delimited and tab-delimited provide
output in a format that can be readily imported by database
and spreadsheet programs. To select your output-file type,
use the pull-down box. Then click the "Save" button. Your
results will be generated in the file format of your choosing,
and available on a link called "Pick Up Your Data Here."
This link will appear below the "Report Setting" heading.
Click on this link to save the output file to your computer.
Q. Why is there no table DS:2 in the domestic support
notifications database?
A. Notifications for table DS:2 cover domestic
support measures relating to developing countries' domestic
development programs that are exempt from WTO domestic support
reduction commitments. The DS:2 notifications largely contain
information in a narrative text form and are not presently
included in the domestic support notifications database.
Notifications related to DS:2 may be retrieved from the
WTO website (see the domestic
support More Info tab).
Q. What is the difference between in-quota and over-quota
tariff rates?
A. Tariff-rate quotas consist of a two-leveled
tariff in which the tariff rate charged depends on the volume
of imports. A lower (in-quota) tariff is charged on imports
within a designated quota volume (varies by country and
commodity). A higher (over-quota) tariff is charged on imports
in excess of the quota volume.
Q. What is the difference between commodity category,
commodity group, and commodity subgroup?
A. In the tariff level database, the commodity
category, group, and subgroup are the levels
of commodity aggregation. These groupings associate
like items together in increasing levels of detail. They
also allow retrieval of tariffs at various levels of aggregation.
Commodity category. On the tariff levels
Custom tab, the commodity category is available on the
pick list for WTO bound tariffs and applied tariffs. This
level of aggregation contains major agricultural commodities
grouped together into 13 major categories:
o Coffee, cocoa, tea, and related products
o Dairy and eggs
o Fiber
o Fruit and fruit products
o Grains, grain products, and feed
o Horticulture products
o Livestock and animal products
o Nuts, oilseeds, and oilcake
o Spices and food preparations
o Starches
o Sugar and sweeteners
o Tobacco and tobacco products
o Vegetables and vegetable products
Commodity group. The 13 commodity categories
can be broken out into 46 commodity groups. The commodity
groups reflect an intermediate level of aggregation within
the tariff level database. Each group appears in only
one commodity category.
Commodity subgroup. The 46 commodity groups
can be broken out into 205 commodity subgroups. The commodity
subgroups are the most detailed breakout of agricultural
commodities in the tariff level database. Each subgroup
appears in only one commodity group.
Q. Why are there no commodity aggregations for tariff-rate
quota data?
A. The data on tariff-rate quota (TRQs) reflect
the level of commodity detail that countries use for defining
their TRQs. The data, therefore, are as detailed or aggregated
as WTO members define in their tariff schedules. Some countries
specified TRQs that only cover one or two lines of the tariff
schedule, while others defined TRQs to cover a large number
of tariff lines. As a result, it is not possible to apply
standard commodity classifications across countries to create
commodity aggregates for the TRQ data that would be analogous
to those for the WTO bound and applied tariff data.
Q. How were tariff averages calculated?
A. In their tariff schedules, WTO members used
a variety of formats and levels of precision to specify
individual tariff commitments. In most cases, members specified
tariffs in ad valorem terms, as a simple percentage of the
value of the imported product. However, some countries elected
to specify some or all tariffs in specific or other non-ad
valorem terms, such as a unit of currency per a unit of
quantity (e.g., 20 cents per pound). Before comparing tariff
protection across countries and commodities, detailed tariff
rates had to be converted into a common percentage format.
For this database, ad valorem equivalents (AVEs) of specific
or other non-ad valorem tariffs were calculated, allowing
aggregation of tariffs across commodities and countries.
AVE calculation required comparing a price with the specific
tariff in order to estimate the AVE. AVEs were calculated
at the tariff-line level, using import unit values at the
6-digit level (of the international
Harmonized System of trade codes) as the reference price.
The import unit value was based on world imports from all
sources (minus European Union intra-trade) averaged for
1995-97. For a detailed description of the methodology used
to calculate AVEs, see the tariff
levels Documentation tab. See also Profiles
of Tariffs in Global Agricultural Markets.
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