Countries by Tariff rate, applied, simple mean, primary products (%)
Egypt leads all 186 countries with a simple mean applied tariff rate of 99.4% on primary products, more than twice the rate of second-ranked Bermuda at 34.5%. At the other end, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and Sudan all record 0.0%. The 99.4 percentage-point spread across the ranking reflects the wide variation in how countries apply tariffs to primary commodity trade.
Ranking 2022
Values shown in %.
Analysis
This metric measures the simple mean applied tariff rate on primary products as a percentage. It covers 186 countries using 2022 World Bank World Development Indicators data (indicator code TM.TAX.TCOM.SM.AR.ZS). The source defines it as follows: 'Simple mean applied tariff is the unweighted average of effectively applied rates for all products subject to tariffs calculated for all traded goods. Data are classified using the Harmonized System of trade at the six- or eight-digit level. Tariff line data were matched to Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) revision 3 codes to define commodity groups. Effectively applied tariff rates' form the basis of the calculation. Rates are expressed in percent, and higher values indicate higher applied tariffs. Of the 186 countries with data, 96.8% have observations from the last seven years, and 100% of data points are classified as official. The viability checks identified 18 extreme outliers at the 3-sigma threshold, and the data range spans 0.00% to 99.40%, a spread of 999%.
Egypt ranks first at 99.4%, a value that stands far above the rest of the ranking. Bermuda ranks second at 34.5%, followed by Belize at 27.55% (rank 3), Nauru at 26.9% (rank 4), and the Central African Republic at 25.47% (rank 5). The Cayman Islands rank 6th at 25.26%, with Equatorial Guinea (24.63%), Zimbabwe (24.62%), Chad (24.11%), and Uganda (23.80%) rounding out the top ten. Sub-Saharan African countries and small island territories dominate the upper portion of the ranking. South Korea (rank 11, 23.76%) and Norway (rank 40, 16.87%) are notable high-income economies appearing near the top, both applying comparatively high tariffs on primary products.
The middle of the ranking clusters heavily around 4.06%, where all 26 European Union member states included in the data share an identical value and occupy ranks 133 through 158, reflecting a single common external tariff policy. Below them, Nicaragua ranks 159th at 3.98%, with Mexico (3.60%, rank 161), Canada (3.48%, rank 165), and the United States (2.48%, rank 173) in the lower portion. At the bottom, Chile ranks 180th at 1.17%, Peru at 0.37% (rank 181), Singapore at 0.32% (rank 182), Brunei Darussalam at 0.10% (rank 183), and Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and Sudan each at 0.00%, sharing ranks 184 through 186. Switzerland ranks 51st at 15.82%, which is notably higher than its EU neighbors at 4.06%.
Several limitations apply to this metric. The simple mean treats every tariff line equally regardless of trade volume, so a high rate on a rarely traded product carries the same weight as a rate on a major export. Applied tariff rates can also differ from bound rates and may change frequently through temporary measures or exemptions not captured in annual data. The consistency check shows that only 76.9% of countries have data from the latest year (2022), meaning some values reflect earlier observations. Sudan's rate of 0.00% may reflect data gaps or reporting anomalies rather than a confirmed policy of zero tariffs. Egypt's value of 99.4% is flagged among 18 extreme outliers identified at the 3-sigma threshold, and should be interpreted with appropriate caution pending verification of the underlying tariff schedule.
Methodology
Data are drawn from the World Bank World Development Indicators, indicator code TM.TAX.TCOM.SM.AR.ZS, for the reference year 2022. The metric is defined by the source as follows: 'Simple mean applied tariff is the unweighted average of effectively applied rates for all products subject to tariffs calculated for all traded goods. Data are classified using the Harmonized System of trade at the six- or eight-digit level. Tariff line data were matched to Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) revision 3 codes to define commodity groups. Effectively applied tariff rates' are used throughout. The ranking covers 186 countries, exceeding the 80-country coverage threshold. Of these, 96.8% (180 of 186) have data from the last seven years, and 100% of data points are classified as official quality, above the 70% threshold. The viability check identified 18 extreme outliers using a 3-sigma threshold. The average year-over-year change is 23.7%, within the 50% volatility threshold. Data range from 0.00% to 99.40%, a 999% spread. The latest year (2022) covers 143 of 186 countries (76.9%), meaning some country values in the ranking reflect data from prior years rather than 2022 specifically.