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This article analyses the economic rationale of Brazil's tariff policy during the first two years of the Plano Real. To this end, a study is made of the changes made in import duties for all the products traded. The tariff reform process in Brazil was begun in 1988, after the old Tariff Act had been in effect for thirty years, and represented a marked intensification in the process of trade openness, with the definition of a schedule of gradually decreasing tariffs which was further speeded up as from 1990.

Saudi Electricity Co., a state- controlled utility, said third-quarter profit advanced 34 percent on higher tariffs for power in the Arab world's biggest economy. This is relevant to this week's topic because here, tariffs is considered as a major source of government revenue.

The US Congress is expected to back a set of punitive tariffs on Chinese imports in order to compensate for the artificial lowering of the value of the yuan. China's currency makes its products very cheap. The US is engaging in this protectionism in order to protect domestic workers.

This article mentions a possible tariff to be applied on cheap chinese products in the US. Such protectionism would result in higher prices for consumer, and possible retaliation from China.

This article talks about England raising the previously discounted tariff on energy.

This article is about a pending deal to stop "banana" wars. This is a dispute over the policy enacted in 1993 to give preferential treatment to bananas from former British colonies, and to put tariffs on other bananas. This distorted the market and created barriers to entry and exit. It also meant that firms in former colonies were making supernormal profit in the European banana market. This deal will put an end to this policy and make move the market for bananas closer to one of pure competition.

As growth in national economies continues to falter, many countries are attempting to increase their domestic prosperity by discouraging the sale of foreign products. With tariffs and other protective measures, countries are decreasing free trade in the interest of assissting domestic producers.