This paper addresses the political economy background of import protection policy in Russia under the system of policy-making institutions developed during the period 1992–1997. Models explaining import penetration levels and import tariff rates are constructed and estimated independently as...

Import liberalization forms part and parcel of trade reforms in transition economies. There are, however, significant differences among post-communist countries in the degree of import liberalization. What factors govern the evolution of import tariff policy during the transition period? This...

When designing a trade policy reform, government of a transition country faces the problem of minimizing both trade distortions and losses in tariff revenues. One possible solution of this problem is tariff unification, which undermines stimuli for tariff evasion and thus saves budget revenues....