The Theory of Nominal Tariffs

Because of its long chronicle, the theory of nominal tariffs has earned a pivotal place in the literature on the pure theory of international trade. Historically, the main concern of this theory has been with the implications of tariffs on the imports of final products, and it is only recently that the trade theorist has begun to explore the implications of tariffs on the imports of intermediate products, despite their existence in practice for centuries. The fast-proliferating literature concerned with the latter question is surveyed in the chapter on effective protection; the present chapter is concerned solely with the issues arising from the imposition of nominal tariffs.