Duty vs. Tariff — What's the Difference?

A duty (from "due" meaning "that which is owing"; Old French: deu, did, past participle of devoir; Latin: debere, debitum, whence "debt") is a commitment or expectation to perform some action in general or if certain circumstances arise. A duty may arise from a system of ethics or morality, especially in an honor culture.

A tariff is a tax imposed by a government of a country or of a supranational union on imports or exports of goods. Besides being a source of revenue for the government, import duties can also be a form of regulation of foreign trade and policy that taxes foreign products to encourage or safeguard domestic industry.

An act or a course of action that is required of one by position, social custom, law, or religion

A list or system of duties imposed by a government on imported or exported goods.

Required action or service

A duty or duties so imposed.

Active military service

A schedule of prices or fees.

Moral or legal obligation

To fix a duty or price on.

The compulsion felt to meet such obligation

A system of government-imposed duties levied on imported or exported goods; a list of such duties, or the duties themselves.

A tax charged by a government, especially on imports.

A schedule of rates, fees or prices.

The application of something for a purpose; use

(British) A sentence determined according to a scale of standard penalties for certain categories of crime.

A measure of efficiency expressed as the amount of work done per unit of energy used.

(transitive) to levy a duty on (something)

The total volume of water required to irrigate a given area in order to cultivate a specific crop until harvest.

A schedule, system, or scheme of duties imposed by the government of a country upon goods imported or exported; as, a revenue tariff; a protective tariff; Clay's compromise tariff. (U. S. 1833).

That which one is morally or legally obligated to do.

The duty, or rate of duty, so imposed; as, the tariff on wool; a tariff of two cents a pound.

The state of being at work and responsible for or doing a particular task.

Any schedule or system of rates, changes, etc.; as, a tariff of fees, or of railroad fares.

A tax placed on imports or exports; a tariff.

To make a list of duties on, as goods.

(obsolete) One's due, something one is owed; a debt or fee.

A government tax on imports or exports;

(obsolete) Respect; reverence; regard; act of respect; homage.

Charge a tariff;

The efficiency of an engine, especially a steam pumping engine, as measured by work done by a certain quantity of fuel; usually, the number of pounds of water lifted one foot by one bushel of coal (94 lbs. old standard), or by 1 cwt. (112 lbs., England, or 100 lbs., United States).

That which is due; payment.

That which a person is bound by moral obligation to do, or refrain from doing; that which one ought to do; service morally obligatory.

Hence, any assigned service or business; as, the duties of a policeman, or a soldier; to be on duty.

Specifically, obedience or submission due to parents and superiors.

Respect; reverence; regard; act of respect; homage.

The efficiency of an engine, especially a steam pumping engine, as measured by work done by a certain quantity of fuel; usually, the number of pounds of water lifted one foot by one bushel of coal (94 lbs. old standard), or by 1 cwt. (112 lbs., England, or 100 lbs., United States).

Tax, toll, impost, or customs; excise; any sum of money required by government to be paid on the importation, exportation, or consumption of goods.

Work that you are obliged to perform for moral or legal reasons;

The social force that binds you to your obligations and the courses of action demanded by that force;

A government tax on imports or exports;