Review of Australia's General Tariff Arrangements

Public inquiry

This inquiry has concluded. The inquiry report was released by the Commonwealth Government on 19 December 2000.

The Productivity Commission was asked by the Assistant Treasurer to review Australia's General Tariff Arrangements. The central issue was the scope for a post-2000 reduction in the general tariff, covering only rates of 5 per cent or less, and excluding the PMV and TCF sectors.

As part of the inquiry, the Commission considered a range of questions including:

• costs and benefits of tariff reductions
• implications for trade negotiations
• implications for the Manufacture in Bond and the TRADEX schemes, the Tariff Concession System and Project By-Law arrangements.

Further information

• Modelling the Effects of Removing General Tariffs - Inquiry report supplement
• Government Response to the Productivity Commission Report on Australia's General Tariff Arrangements - Treasurer and Minister for Industry, Science and Resources' media release (external site)
• About the public inquiry process