Zollverein

The Zollverein is a classic customs union, a model for later arrangements such as the European customs union, and it shows how removing internal tariffs lets goods move freely across a larger market. Built on Prussia's 1818 tariff reform, it began with 18 states, and by 1854, when Hanover and Oldenburg joined, it covered most German states outside Austria; Hamburg and Bremen joined only in 1888. Members shared a common external tariff, so goods paid duty once at the outer border. Importers meet the same structure today in the EU and in free trade agreements, where rules of origin decide whether goods qualify for duty-free treatment.

• Country of OriginCountry where goods were made
• Certificate of OriginDocument that proves where goods were made
• Harmonized Tariff ScheduleHTSUS product codes that set import duty rates

• The Wealth of Nations1776 · Adam Smith argues for division of labor and free trade
• Establishment of the U.S. Customs Service1789 · Congress sets up 59 districts to collect import duties
• Marshall Plan1948–1952 · US aid of about $13 billion rebuilds Western Europe

• Cobden-Chevalier Treaty1860 · 1860 Anglo-French treaty that cut tariffs and spread MFN

1. Zollverein britannica.com
2. Zollverein en.wikipedia.org