关税

• Pinyin: guān shuì
• Hanzi breakdown: 关 = 丷 + 天 — gate or checkpoint at which goods are inspected and taxed; 税 = 禾 (grain) + 兑 (exchange) — originally grain paid as tax; now any form of tax or duty

Meaning

Tariff; customs duty. A tax levied on goods crossing international borders, either imported or exported.

关税 is a central term in international trade and economics. 进口关税 (import tariff), 出口关税 (export tariff), and 关税壁垒 (tariff barriers) are common collocations. Trade negotiations often focus on reducing or eliminating tariffs. 关税战 (tariff war) has become a prominent term in modern geopolitical and economic discussions.

Examples

1. 两国签署自由贸易协定后，大部分进出口商品的关税被大幅削减。 After the two countries signed a free trade agreement, tariffs on most imports and exports were sharply reduced.
2. 贸易摩擦期间，双方相互提高关税，严重压缩了进出口贸易总量。 During the trade dispute, both sides raised tariffs against each other, severely shrinking overall import and export volumes.
3. 高额关税导致进口汽车的售价远高于同类国产车型，消费者选择减少。 High tariffs pushed the prices of imported cars far above comparable domestic models, so consumers bought fewer.

Usage Guide

Context: economics, trade, policy, international relations

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 该国对进口电子产品征收高额关税，以保护本国制造业免受外部竞争冲击。(The country imposes high tariffs on imported electronics to protect its domestic manufacturing industry from external competition.)
• 降低关税是双边自由贸易协定谈判的核心议题，也是最难取得突破的环节。(Reducing tariffs is one of the core issues in bilateral free trade agreement negotiations and also the most difficult area in which to achieve a breakthrough.)

Don't Say

• 将'关税'用于描述国内各省或地区之间的货物流通费用或地方性税费 — 关税 is specifically for international customs duties; use 流通费、运费 or 省际税费 for domestic inter-regional costs

Origin & History

关 (customs gate; checkpoint; pass) + 税 (tax; duty). 关 originally referred to customs checkpoints at city or national gates where goods were taxed.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Educated speakers