2 Agricultural tariff rate quotas as a development instrument

This paper discusses tariff rate quotas (TRQs) as a way of increasing market access for developing country agricultural exports. Using the EU as a case study, it examines the extent to which developing countries have been able to make use of existing TRQ access to the EU market. Many countries have proposed that TRQs should be increased in the current negotiations on further agricultural trade liberalisation, and some also propose that TRQs might be administered preferentially to favour some or all developing countries. The economic and legal issues in increasing TRQ access for developing countries are evaluated. It is concluded that MFN tariff reductions should be the principal market access objective of developing countries in the negotiations