Staging

Staging in Global Commerce Policy

In this regard, a definition of this issue is as follows: the introduction of tariff reductions or other trade-liberalizing measures according to a unilateral or an internationally-agreed timetable. For example, many developed countries phased in their Uruguay Round commitments to cut tariffs over five years, starting on 1 January 1995. The tariff eliminations under the Information Technology Agreement occurred in four stages, beginning on 1 July 1997 and ending on January 2000. Staging is also a feature of may free-trade arrangements. NAFTA, for example, has five different staging categories: (a) goods receiving duty-free treatment before entry into force of the Agreement, (b) goods for which tariffs have been eliminated from the day of entry into force, (c) goods on which tariffs are eliminated in five equal annual stages, (d) goods on which tariffs are eliminated in ten equal annual stages, and (e) goods on which tariffs are eliminated in fifteen equal annual stages. The entries on trade policy are here. In the case of the latter three categories, the first stage occurred on entry into force of the Agreement. The New Zealand-Singapore free-trade agreement is rather simpler. The entries on trade policy are here. It eliminated all tariffs between the parties on entry into force.[1]

Stagingin the wold Encyclopedia

For an introductory overview on international trade policy, see this entry.

Resources

Notes and References

1. Dictionary of Trade Policy, “Staging” entry (OAS)

See Also