"Our aim is that consumers will get the best possible energy tariff - no tricks, no loopholes - and we will use the powers we gained in the Energy Bill earlier this month to make sure this happens, " he added.

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With no tariff, domestic ethanol has to compete against imports.

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But the High Court also said there was no claim for damages as an earlier "pre-tariff hearing" made it clear there was no chance of him being released.

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Nonetheless, according to Mozambican ministers, the World Bank insisted that the tariff should go or Mozambique would get no help.

ECONOMIST: Mozambique��s curly little teaser

Nevertheless, for the past three years, it has made almost no progress in removing myriad non-tariff barriers to intra-group trade.

ECONOMIST: Mercosur’s malaise | The

Yet while tariffs remain so high, and both the tariff and the tax system are riddled with anomalies, this is no time to pause.

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The average tariff barriers are already low, between 3% and 5%, but there is no reason they should not go to zero.

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