What do we call?

1) duty charged on certain goods and services produced and sold within the country (i.e. tobacco, beer, wines and spirits);

2) a tax charged as a percentage of the retail price of goods;

3) an extra tax on imports, in addition to ordinary customs duties;

4) a continuing rise in prices;

5) a tax charged not only on retail prices but also on the prices charged by manufacturers and wholesalers;

6) an indirect tax, charged as a percentage of the selling price of an article or commodity

12. Read and translate the following text using a dictionary if necessary:

Tariff Systems

All over the world tariff systems can be classified into four main types. The first type is represented by a single column tariff which consists of one list of duties with a single duty rate for each article, applicable equally to imports from all countries. Duty reductions arranged by countries exercising such a system are usually universal for all the other countries. Germany, Japan, the Scandinavian countries are amidst those practising the single column tariff.

The second type used in customs practice is a maximum-minimum tariff. This involves the setting-up of two columns of duties in the tariff. The lower rate is applicable to countries enjoying most-favoured-nation treatment whereas the higher to other countries. Sometimes maximum-minimum tariffs include only one column (usually called the minimum tariff) and the rates of the maximum tariff are calculated by applying a percentage increase or multiplier to the minimum rates. France and Spain are among the countries using such a system.

The countries where a general-conventional tariff is used start with a single column of duties and proceed to establish a second column of conventional duties in negotiations with other countries. This second column contains only the items on which conventional rates have been settled and does not, therefore, cover all tariff items, to which the general tariff is applied. The conventional rates are correspondingly common mostly with the countries of the most-favoured-nation treatment.

And the fourth type of customs tariff is a preferential tariff. This one represents an import duty at a specially low rate on goods from a country that is being favoured. Usually preferential tariff is applied to the countries of the same group. Thus, within the European Economic Community preferential rates are exchanged exclusively between the countries developing the respective spheres and are not extended to outside countries.

13. Choose corresponding Russian terms for:

14. Answer the following questions:

1) What is the simplest form of tariff?

2) Who usually pays taxes, customs duties and other charges for commodities on the territory of the Seller?

3) What is the most common form of an extra charge regarding import duties?

4) In what way are the internal taxes on imports collected?

5) What internal taxes do you know?

6) What is the difference between a sales tax and a turnover tax?

7) What countries exercise preferential tariffs?

8) What is the difference between a single column tariff and a maximum-minimum tariff?

9) What do conventional rates mean?

15. Say whatever you know about:

• 1) the four functions of export-import rates;
• 2) main tariff systems;
• 3) the internal taxes collected on imports.

EPISODE 2