import quota

economics

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June 29, 2026

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An import quota is a government-imposed limit on the quantity of a specific good or service that can be imported into a country during a set period. Unlike tariffs, which are taxes on imports, quotas restrict trade by setting an absolute limit on the volume of imports.1

Quotas can lead to higher domestic prices for the restricted commodity if the imported quantity falls below what would have been imported without the restriction. If the government doesn't license importers to capture the price difference, this can create private profit opportunities. Quotas can also be used as economic weapons, applied selectively to certain countries. While quantitative restrictions were common after World War I and during the Great Depression, many countries began dismantling them after World War II.1

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origins of agriculture
Economics, politics, and agriculture
Import quotas, adopted on a large scale across Europe and elsewhere, also became a major protective device during the 1930s. The most radical measures, however, were undertaken in Germany under Adolf Hitler, where the Nazi government, seeking self-sufficiency in food, fixed farm prices at relatively…
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Import quotas, adopted on a large scale across Europe and elsewhere, also became a major protective device during the 1930s. The most radical measures, however, were undertaken in Germany under Adolf Hitler, where the Nazi government, seeking self-sufficiency in food, fixed farm prices at relatively…
Read More

quota
…quotas may be distinguished from import quotas. A tariff quota permits the import of a certain quantity of a commodity duty-free or at a lower duty rate, while quantities exceeding the quota are subject to a higher duty rate. An import quota, on the other hand, restricts imports absolutely.
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…quotas may be distinguished from import quotas. A tariff quota permits the import of a certain quantity of a commodity duty-free or at a lower duty rate, while quantities exceeding the quota are subject to a higher duty rate. An import quota, on the other hand, restricts imports absolutely.
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protectionism
Import quotas offer another means of protectionism. These quotas set an absolute limit on the amount of certain goods that can be imported into a country and tend to be more effective than protective tariffs, which do not always dissuade consumers who are willing to…
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Import quotas offer another means of protectionism. These quotas set an absolute limit on the amount of certain goods that can be imported into a country and tend to be more effective than protective tariffs, which do not always dissuade consumers who are willing to…
Read More