World tariff profiles is the publication that the World Trade Organization (WTO) makes in collaboration with ITC and UNCTAD to give an overview of the tariffs and non-tariff measures imposed by various countries and customs territories in the world (170 in total). In analyzing data referred to Africa, it is interesting to note how the Most-Favored Nation (MFN) average tariffs vary widely among its nations. MFN tariffs are the tariff rates that a country applies to imports from all its trading partners which are not part of a preferential trade agreement (such as a free trade area or customs union). In practice, MFN rates are the highest (most restrictive) tariffs that a country can charge on imports (see the table below). The WTO data shows that in Africa, the higher tariffs are applied by Sudan (21.6%), Tunisia (19.5%) and Algeria (18.9%). To be noted that the first and the last country (Sudan and Algeria) are non-WTO members. On the other hand, the lowest tariffs are applied by Mauritius (0.8%) and Seychelles (2.5%). In terms of Regional Economic Communities (RECs), the ones with the lower MFN tariff rates are SACU (7.6%) and ECOWAS (12%), while the one with the highest is CEMAC (18%). A mistery, instead, remains the huge difference in MFN tariffs between EAC member States, that as a customs union should apply a common tariff towards non-EAC members.
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