The development and extent of the Australian tariff on cloth and yarn

Abstract

Tariffs influence four aspects of an economy: the pattern of production, the pattern of trade, the distribution of income and the terms of trade. The Australian tariff is very discriminatory in nature and is important especially for its influence on the domestic production of certain products and on the pattern of imports. This study is concerned with the calculation of average tariffs on certain defined products. The averaging of tariffs is important in assessing the protective effect of the tariff. However, it is not the only information needed. Data on demand and supply elasticities is also necessary. Such topics are however, beyond the scope of this thesis.