tariff

/ˈtɛrəf/

/ˈtærɪf/

Other forms: tariffs; tariffed; tariffing

A tariff is a kind of tax on goods a country imports or exports. If you want to buy a European-made car in the U.S., the price will include tariffs the government adds to the price of imported vehicles.

Usually a government imposes a tariff to encourage its own industries and to discourage buying cheaper imports from other countries. If a government wants to protect its own clothing industry, it may add a tariff to imported clothing, to make sure that the imported clothes aren't cheaper than the locally manufactured items. You can control exports, too, by imposing tariffs. As a verb, you can say "the government tariffs certain imports and exports."

Definitions of tariff

1. noun

   a government tax on imports or exports
   synonyms: duty

   types:

   custom, customs, customs duty, impost

   money collected under a tariff

   tonnage, tonnage duty, tunnage

   a tax imposed on ships that enter the US; based on the tonnage of the ship

   octroi

   a tax on various goods brought into a town

   revenue tariff

   a tariff imposed to raise revenue

   protective tariff

   a tariff imposed to protect domestic firms from import competition

   import duty

   a duty imposed on imports

   export duty

   a duty imposed on exports

   countervailing duty

   a duty imposed to offset subsidies by foreign governments

   ship money

   an impost levied in England to provide money for ships for national defense

   anti-dumping duty

   a tariff imposed to prevent dumping

   type of:

   indirect tax

   a tax levied on goods or services rather than on persons or organizations
2. verb

   charge a tariff
   “tariff imported goods”

   type of:

   tax

   levy a tax on