An import license is a document issued by a national government authorizing the importation of certain goods into its territory. Import licenses are considered to be
non-tariff barriers to trade
Non-tariff barriers to trade (NTBs; also called non-tariff measures, NTMs) are trade barriers that restrict imports or exports of goods or services through mechanisms other than the simple imposition of tariffs.
The Southern African Developme ...
when used as a way to discriminate against another country's goods in order to protect a domestic industry from foreign competition.
Each license specifies the volume of imports allowed, and the total volume allowed should not exceed the
quota. Licenses can be sold to importing companies at a competitive price, or simply a set fee. However, it is argued that this allocation method provides incentives for political lobbying and bribery. Governments may put certain restrictions on what is imported as well as the amount of imported goods and services. For example, if a business wishes to import agricultural products such as vegetables, then the government may be concerned about the impact of such importations of the local market and thus impose a restriction.
Système Intégré de Gestion de Licenses
The Système Intégré de Gestion de Licenses (SIGL) is the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are located primarily in Europe, Europe. The union has a total area of ...
Directorate General for Trade's integrated IT system for the management of licences for imports of textiles, clothing, footwear, steel and wood to the EU.
[European Commission]
Système Intégré de Gestion de Licenses
accessed 11 June 2018
See also
*
Importation right
References
{{reflist
External links
WTO: Trade Topics - Import Licensing Gateway
Non-tariff barriers to trade
Import