Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 25 ISSUE 3
Written by Liviu MARCUTA, Bianca NITULESCU, Alina MARCUTA

This research aims to comparatively analyse the impact of customs tariffs on international agri-food trade, integrating the concepts of protectionism, interventionism, globalization and economic regionalism. The study focuses on five key economies: the European Union, Argentina, Brazil, Vietnam and Thailand, representative of three major trading blocs – the EU, MERCOSUR and ASEAN. The main objective is to identify differences in tariff policies and assess how they influence market access, the volume of trade flows and the efficiency of preferential agreements. The research aims to: (1) analyze the level of MFN tariffs (both simple and weighted) by agri-food product categories; (2) compare the degree of trade openness between regions; (3) assess the relationship between applied tariffs and import and export volumes; and (4) construct a synthetic indicator of tariff protectionism, based on the distribution of tariffs by percentage intervals. The methodology is quantitative and comparative in nature, based on official data from 2022, published in 2024 by the World Trade Organization (WTO), the European Commission, ITC and UNCTAD. The composite indicator developed allows for a coherent and comparable quantification of tariff protectionism within the five economies, complementing the classic descriptive analysis. The results highlight significant structural differences: the European Union applies a selective tariff liberalization strategy in agriculture, while Argentina and Thailand demonstrate extensive protectionism in sensitive sectors. Vietnam adopts a dual model, combining interventionism with openness to multilateral trade partnerships. Brazil falls into an intermediate zone, with relatively protectionist policies, but compatible with regional dynamics. The composite score confirms these guidelines, providing a rough quantitative hierarchy. Therefore, in an international context dominated by the reassessment of trade strategies, including the recent decision of the United States to increase tariffs on strategic imports, the study demonstrates that tariffs remain relevant geopolitical instruments, with a direct impact on the structure of trade chains. The main conclusion is that preferential trade agreements can significantly reduce real tariff barriers, contributing to the stabilization and efficiency of global agri-food exchanges in an increasingly fragmented trade climate.

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