[01] Ahmad Jafari Samimi, Department of Economics, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran. [02] Ghasem Norouzi, Department of Agricultural Economics, Qaemshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr, Iran. [03] Mojtaba Ehsani, Department of Economics, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran.

This study examines the welfare impacts of import tariffs and non-tariff barriers (NTBs) imposed on tradable agricultural products in Iran during period 1981-2011. The results show that NTBs (especially Core NTBs such as import quota, technical regulations, as well as monopolistic measures and agricultural domestic support) had a prohibitive effect on imports and domestic consumer's welfare. Therefore, the reduction of NTBs or their complete elimination would improve consumer's welfare in Iran. The estimated results of trade restrictiveness index indicated that the optimal tariff to keep welfare in accordance with the TRI index is 12.8%. Moreover, we found that three products of rice, sugar and banana are heavily protected and their trade’s regine have signs of making deviation and limitation of trade and social welfare decrease.

Agriculture, Tariff, Non-Tariff Barriers, Import, Welfare

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