punitive tariff

noun

A tax imposed by a government on imported goods from a specific country, intended to punish that country for perceived unfair trade practices or political provocations.

“The administration threatened to impose punitive tariffs of 25% on all steel imports in response to the trade dispute.”

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Meanings

nounpunitive tariff (plural punitive tariffs)

plural punitive tariffs

  1. economicsA tax imposed by a government on imported goods from a specific country, intended to punish that country for perceived unfair trade practices or political provocations.

    The administration threatened to impose punitive tariffs of 25% on all steel imports in response to the trade dispute.

Origin

punitive + tariff

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 惩罚性关税, 懲罰性關稅 /惩罚性关税
  • 惩罚性关税 (chéngfáxìng guānshuì)tariff intended to punish another country
  • 懲罰性關稅 /惩罚性关税 (chéngfáxìng guānshuì)tariff intended to punish another country
Dutch strafheffing, straftarief
  • strafheffingtariff intended to punish another country
  • straftarieftariff intended to punish another country
Finnish rangaistustulli
  • rangaistustullitariff intended to punish another country
French tarif punitif, droit de douane punitif
  • tarif punitiftariff intended to punish another country
  • droit de douane punitiftariff intended to punish another country
German Strafzoll
  • Strafzolltariff intended to punish another country
Italian dazio punitivo
  • dazio punitivotariff intended to punish another country
Japanese 報復関税, 制裁関税
  • 報復関税 (hōfuku kanzei)tariff intended to punish another country
  • 制裁関税 (seisai kanzei)tariff intended to punish another country
Portuguese tarifa punitiva
  • tarifa punitivatariff intended to punish another country
Russian карательный тариф, штрафной тариф
  • карательный тариф (karatelʹnyj tarif)tariff intended to punish another country
  • штрафной тариф (štrafnoj tarif)tariff intended to punish another country
Spanish arancel punitivo
  • arancel punitivotariff intended to punish another country
Swedish strafftull
  • strafftulltariff intended to punish another country
Cite this entry
APA

punitive tariff. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/punitive%20tariff

MLA

“punitive tariff.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/punitive%20tariff. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “punitive tariff,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/punitive%20tariff.

Source: punitive tariff on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.