Economics • International Trade

Tariff Impact Simulator

Demand, domestic supply and world supply, with the price before and after the tariff and the areas A, B, C and D shaded.

Tariff Impact Simulator — Explanation

A country imports a good it also makes. It can buy as much as it wants from abroad at the world price (Pw), so world supply (Sw) is a horizontal line at Pw. Domestic demand is Q = 100 − P and domestic supply is Q = P − 10: with no trade at all, the price would be $55 and 45 units would be sold.

A specific tariff is a tax of $T on each unit imported. World supply shifts up to Sw + T, and the domestic price rises to Pt = Pw + T.

How to use it. Choose a scenario in the title bar to watch a tariff being imposed on free trade at a world price of $25: the old equilibrium (e0) stays on the diagram in grey and the new one (e1) appears. Or move the sliders to change the world price and the tariff yourself. The table shows the size of each area in dollars.

Objective: analyse the effects of a tariff on domestic price, output, consumption, imports, government revenue and economic welfare, using a diagram (Cambridge International AS Level Economics: protectionism).

Where this fits

  • AP: AP Microeconomics
  • AQA: AQA A Level Economics (7136)
  • Cambridge: Cambridge IGCSE Economics (0455); Cambridge A Level Economics (9708); Cambridge AS Level Economics (9708) Goes beyond Cambridge IGCSE Economics (0455): 0455 doesn't use diagrams for protection; the consumer and producer surplus, revenue/rent and deadweight loss areas go beyond it.
  • IB: IB Economics HL; IB Economics SL
  • NCEA Level 2 Economics: 91223 Analyse international trade using economic concepts and models; 91227 Analyse how government policies and contemporary economic issues interact Goes beyond 91223: Tariffs and welfare areas aren't in 91223 (they're Level 3, 91399); the price-taker model and the change in imports are.
  • NCEA Level 3 Economics: 91399 Demonstrate understanding of the efficiency of market equilibrium
  • Pearson Edexcel International: Edexcel International GCSE Economics (4EC1); Edexcel International A Level Economics Goes beyond Edexcel International GCSE Economics (4EC1): 4EC1 has no consumer or producer surplus, so the welfare areas and deadweight loss go beyond it.
  • USDP: USDP Economics Goes beyond USDP Economics: Welfare areas (consumer and producer surplus, deadweight loss) go beyond a typical high-school course.

Tariff Impact Simulator — Key Terms

Key concepts in English, with te reo Māori, Chinese (Simplified) and Korean.

EnglishTe reo Māori中文(简体)한국어What it means on this page
Tariff (Import Duty)tākehoko tāwāhi关税 (guānshuì)관세 (gwanse)A tax imposed by a government on imported goods to make foreign products more expensive relative to domestic goods.
Tariff Revenueno attested term关税收入 (guānshuì shōurù)관세 수입 (gwanse suip)Tax revenue generated for the government by multiplying the specific tariff rate by the volume of imports (Area C).
World Price (Pw)no attested term世界价格 (shìjiè jiàgé)세계 가격 (segye gagyeok)The benchmark international market price of a commodity before any domestic import tax or tariff is applied.
Local Equilibrium (No-Trade) Priceno attested term本地均衡价格 (běndì jūnhéng jiàgé)국내 균형 가격 (gungnae gyunhyeong gagyeok)The price where domestic demand meets domestic supply with no trade at all ($55 here). A tariff can't raise the price above it.
Tariff Price (Pt)no attested term含税国内价格 (hánshuì jiàgé)관세 포함 가격 (gwanse poham)The elevated domestic market price paid by consumers after adding the tariff to the world price (Pt = Pw + Tariff).
Prohibitive Tariffno attested term禁止性关税 (jìnzhǐxìng guānshuì)금지적 관세 (geumjijeok gwanse)A tariff so high that the world price plus the tariff is at or above the no-trade price, so imports stop altogether and the tariff raises no revenue.
Deadweight Production Lossno attested term生产无谓损失 (Area B)생산 비효율 손실The loss of economic efficiency resulting from inefficient domestic producers expanding output to replace cheaper imports (Area B).
Deadweight Consumption Lossno attested term消费无谓损失 (Area D)소비 위축 손실The loss of economic efficiency caused by consumers reducing overall consumption due to higher tariff prices (Area D).
Deadweight Welfare Lossno attested term福利无谓损失 (fúlì wúwèi sǔnshī)사회후생 손실 (sahoe husaeng sonsil)The welfare lost to everyone because of the tariff, gained by nobody: areas B + D.
Import Volumeno attested term进口量 (jìnkǒu liàng)수입량 (suiplyang)The physical volume of foreign goods purchased, equal to domestic quantity demanded minus domestic quantity supplied.
Producer Gain (Area A)no attested term生产者收益增加 (Area A)생산자 잉여 증가The increase in producer surplus enjoyed by domestic firms who can sell more output at higher prices under tariff protection.
Consumer Loss (Areas A+B+C+D)no attested term消费者福利损失소비자 후생 감소The total loss of consumer surplus caused by higher domestic prices and reduced overall consumption quantity under the tariff.
Protectionismpākaihoko贸易保护主义 (màoyì bǎohù zhǔyì)무역 보호주의 (muyeok bohojuyi)Government trade policy designed to restrict imports and assist domestic manufacturers through tariffs, quotas, or subsidies.

On the te reo Māori column. Terms marked as gaps have no attested equivalent in the sources checked — Karaitiana Taiuru's Dictionary of Māori Computer and Social Media Terms, Paekupu, the Reserve Bank's te reo financial glossary, NZQA and Te Aka. No coinage is printed as though it were established; where a class needs one, commission it from Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and credit the translator. Te reo Māori is not italicised and takes no plural "s".