This paper provides an introduction to the basics of European Union (EU) imports, tariffs, and tariff regimes. Firstly, it describes the inherent complexities in the EU tariff schedule and outlines the approach taken for aggregating EU tariffs from the ten-digit level to a lower level of aggregation. Secondly, the paper presents the distribution of EU imports by main partners and broad product groups under the four different statistical import regimes and highlights the importance of which statistical regime a product is classified under. Thirdly, based on a simplified classification, the paper explains the methodology behind the merger of tariff data and trade flows used to provide information on the distribution of EU import flows by import tariff regime (Most Favoured Nation (MFN), Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), and other preferential regimes. Finally, an overview of EU imports by tariff regime is presented and commented upon.
Journal of World Trade