<p>While overall effects to the economy may be argued as negative, in cases where there is limited state capacity to collect income taxes or sales taxes, border tariffs on both imports and exports may be an effective means of financing necessary expenditures of the state. For example, in such a situation, border tariffs may help to finance a basic military to deter invasion, to build roads, to operate a basic education system, or to expend resources on longer-term development of capacity.</p>

<p>Such situations where tariffs are basically necessary to ensure the basic functioning of the state are extremely different from the present situation in the USA where diverse attempts are being made to defend proposals of paranoia-inducing tariffs on steel and aluminum, both of which are used as inputs in producing tanks and jets in a country which already has the largest military in the history of the planet. </p>

<p>For the case of Canadian dairy, there is a tariff on some dairy products. Since many Canadian consumers prefer not to be exposed to inferior production conditions in the USA, many consider this to be an overall gain. However, others would prefer access to those same US products, and also cheaper access to high quality artisan imports such as in cheeses.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-08T18:46:51.167Z
2018-03-08T18:46:51.167Z
nathanwww
<p>I think Germany is good example but not perfect, they have a strong system of trade and has high regulation when it comes to tariffs but still they are the 3rd largest exporting economy in the world.
<a href="https://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/deu/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/deu/</a>
<a href="https://2016.export.gov/germany/marketresearchongermany/countrycommercialguide/traderegulationsandstandards/index.asp" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://2016.export.gov/germany/marketresearchongermany/countrycommercialguide/traderegulationsandstandards/index.asp</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-04T01:07:17.013Z
As Germany is a part of the EU, it does not set its own tariffs. And most of its trading partners are other EU countries, so most of its trade is free.
Giskard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-04T07:10:13.180Z
In addition to what denesp has written, Greece, the UK and Spain all share those deals on tariffs and trade with Germany - they all trade under identical conditions - but have very different outcomes http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2013/december/tradoc_151969.pdf
410 gone
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-03T22:25:27.043Z
2018-03-03T22:25:27.043Z
Senuri Bisheka Hettigoda
<p>Nations have imposed tariffs on goods for many reasons throughout the ages.  Are there any examples of a tariff actually succeeding at its intended goals?</p>

<p>When I research tariffs, I find <em>countless</em> arguments that they never one have worked, and I find a lot of current events documents arguing why particular tariffs wont work, but I'm having it hard finding any economist pointing to a tariff that worked as intended.</p>

<p>Bonus points if the tariff worked as intended <strong>and</strong> was not considered to be a net loss for the country that imposed it.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-03T15:52:52.823Z
Could you clarify what you mean by "intended goals"? Tariffs do increase state revenue, so the goal of the state imposing the tariff is met there.
Giskard
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-03T19:06:12.303Z
@denesp when I was writing the question, I was thinking from a protectionist pov, but I think your comment does point to an answer that was outside of the box I was thinking of.
Cort Ammon
CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-04T13:44:19.010Z
Traditionally, the principle reason for tariffs was to collect tax money.  It's much easier to inspect arriving boats and collect a tariff on the goods being imported than it is, say, to send a tax collector out on horseback to a farmer's house and force him to disclose all the "income" he's earned in the past year from selling eggs door-to-door.
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<monetary-policy><tariffs>
Are there any examples of tariffs working?
Cort Ammon
# Are there any examples of tariffs working?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-03-03)

Nations have imposed tariffs on goods for many reasons throughout the ages. Are there any examples of a tariff actually succeeding at its intended goals?

When I research tariffs, I find *countless* arguments that they never one have worked, and I find a lot of current events documents arguing why particular tariffs wont work, but I'm having it hard finding any economist pointing to a tariff that worked as intended.

Bonus points if the tariff worked as intended **and** was not considered to be a net loss for the country that imposed it.

**Tags:** monetary-policy, tariffs
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Could you clarify what you mean by "intended goals"? Tariffs do increase state revenue, so the goal of the state imposing the tariff is met there.  
> **username_0**: @denesp when I was writing the question, I was thinking from a protectionist pov, but I think your comment does point to an answer that was outside of the box I was thinking of.  
> **username_2**: Traditionally, the principle reason for tariffs was to collect tax money.  It's much easier to inspect arriving boats and collect a tariff on the goods being imported than it is, say, to send a tax collector out on horseback to a farmer's house and force him to disclose all the "income" he's earned in the past year from selling eggs door-to-door.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-03-08. Score: 1

While overall effects to the economy may be argued as negative, in cases where there is limited state capacity to collect income taxes or sales taxes, border tariffs on both imports and exports may be an effective means of financing necessary expenditures of the state. For example, in such a situation, border tariffs may help to finance a basic military to deter invasion, to build roads, to operate a basic education system, or to expend resources on longer-term development of capacity.

Such situations where tariffs are basically necessary to ensure the basic functioning of the state are extremely different from the present situation in the USA where diverse attempts are being made to defend proposals of paranoia-inducing tariffs on steel and aluminum, both of which are used as inputs in producing tanks and jets in a country which already has the largest military in the history of the planet.

For the case of Canadian dairy, there is a tariff on some dairy products. Since many Canadian consumers prefer not to be exposed to inferior production conditions in the USA, many consider this to be an overall gain. However, others would prefer access to those same US products, and also cheaper access to high quality artisan imports such as in cheeses.


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### Answer by username_4 on 2018-03-03. Score: -1

I think Germany is good example but not perfect, they have a strong system of trade and has high regulation when it comes to tariffs but still they are the 3rd largest exporting economy in the world.
<https://atlas.media.mit.edu/en/profile/country/deu/>
<https://2016.export.gov/germany/marketresearchongermany/countrycommercialguide/traderegulationsandstandards/index.asp>

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: As Germany is a part of the EU, it does not set its own tariffs. And most of its trading partners are other EU countries, so most of its trade is free.  
> **username_5**: In addition to what denesp has written, Greece, the UK and Spain all share those deals on tariffs and trade with Germany - they all trade under identical conditions - but have very different outcomes http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2013/december/tradoc_151969.pdf  

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