Hey there kiddo! So, you know how sometimes when you go to the store with your parents, they have to pay more money for things that are made in other countries? That’s because of something called a tariff.
A tariff is like a tax that a country puts on goods that come in from another country. They do this to make it harder for people to buy things from other countries, and to try and make them buy things that are made in their own country instead.
Now, let's talk about tariffs in Australia. When Australia was first founded, it wasn’t a big deal because they didn’t really import anything from other countries. But as time went on, they started to get more and more goods from other places.
In the late 1800s, Australia started to put tariffs on certain things, like wool and other agricultural products. They did this to protect the farmers in Australia, so they could sell their products for a fair price without being undercut by cheaper imports.
As Australia grew and developed more industries, they added more tariffs to protect those industries from foreign competition. This was particularly important during World War II when Australia needed to be self-sufficient to support the war effort.
Over time, some people didn’t like tariffs because they made things more expensive for consumers. They argued that it would be better to have free trade, where countries can trade with each other without any barriers.
Eventually, Australia started reducing their tariffs, moving towards a more open and competitive economy. Today, they still have some tariffs, but they are generally lower and less common than they used to be.
So, tariffs are like taxes that countries put on goods from other countries to protect their own industries. Australia has a long history of using tariffs to protect its farmers and industries, but over time they have moved towards more open trade with other countries.