tariff
tariff — noun
1. a charge that a country places on goods arriving from another country across its
a charge that a country places on goods arriving from another country across its border, or on goods being sent abroad — used to manage trade or protect local businesses
The government added a 25% tariff on imported steel last year.
tariff + on + imported product
Tariffs on foreign grain were raised to protect farmers across Mexico.
After Kenya lowered its tariff on rice from Thailand, traders in Nairobi could sell it at lower prices.
A new tariff on Chinese cars made them more expensive for European buyers.
Reema studied how import tariffs affect the price of everyday consumer goods.
- duty
Very close synonym, but 'duty' can also apply to legal transactions (e.g. stamp duty) whereas 'tariff' is specifically about trade goods.
- levy
A broader term for any imposed tax; 'levy' can apply to income, property, or trade, while 'tariff' is trade-specific.
- customs
Refers both to import taxes and the government agency that collects them; 'tariff' names the tax structure itself.
- subsidy
A government payment that supports an industry, the opposite of taxing imported goods.
用法筆記
Often used in the plural ('tariffs') when referring broadly to a country's overall system of import taxes.
常見錯誤
2. a published list of charges that a hotel asks for rooms, a restaurant for meals,
a published list of charges that a hotel asks for rooms, a restaurant for meals, or a utility company for services like gas or electricity supply
The hotel tariff for a double room is printed inside the wardrobe door.
hotel tariff for [room type]
Élise checked the restaurant tariff before ordering a meal for the whole group.
This winter, the electricity company announced a new tariff for household customers.
Diego compared the tariffs of three mobile phone plans before choosing one.
The train company published its summer tariff with discounts for group travel.
- price list
More general and widely understood across all English varieties; 'tariff' in this sense is chiefly British.
- rate card
Common in advertising and media; a formal list of charges for services.
- schedule of charges
More formal; used in legal and utility contexts.
用法筆記
Primarily British English; in American English, 'rate sheet' or 'price list' is more common for this sense.
常見錯誤
3. the specific length of time set by a court as the minimum period a criminal must
the specific length of time set by a court as the minimum period a criminal must spend in prison before becoming eligible for parole — especially for serious crimes such as murder
The judge set a minimum tariff of fifteen years for the armed robbery.
minimum tariff of [number] years
Under British law, the tariff is the shortest time a murderer must serve.
Amihan argued in court that the tariff was too strict for a first-time offender.
The appeal court agreed to reduce his tariff from twelve years to eight.
A life sentence with a thirty-year tariff means at least thirty years in prison.
- minimum term
The plain-English equivalent used in modern UK sentencing documents; 'tariff' is the older legal term.
- sentence
A broader term covering any court-ordered punishment; 'tariff' specifically means the minimum custodial portion.
用法筆記
Chiefly used in UK sentencing law. Sometimes called the 'minimum term' or 'custodial tariff'. Not to be confused with the US legal term 'mandatory minimum' — the tariff is set by the judge within a range.
常見錯誤
tariff — verb
1. to charge a government tax on goods that enter or leave a country — that is, to
to charge a government tax on goods that enter or leave a country — that is, to apply a tariff to imported or exported products
The government decided to tariff all imported luxury cars at thirty percent.
tariff [product] at [percentage]
Noor's company paid extra because the parts were tariffed at the border.
passive: be tariffed at [location]
Yuki argued that the new policy would unfairly tariff goods from poor nations.
The committee voted to tariff steel imports in order to protect local jobs.
Many electronic products are tariffed at a rate that changes every quarter.
- impose a tariff on
A phrasal alternative used when the verb form feels unnatural; more common in news reporting.
- levy (a duty on)
Broader term; 'levy' can apply to any tax, not only border taxes.
- deregulate
To remove trade restrictions, which is the opposite direction from imposing tariffs.
文法句型
tariff + noun phrase
be tarifffed + at + [percentage/rate]
用法筆記
Almost always used in the passive voice ('goods are tarifffed') or as a past-participle adjective ('tarifffed imports'). The simple active form is rare in everyday speech.