The government's grip on foreign exchange allows it to boost sectors that it considers important and keep a lid on imports at the same time.
CHARTS: IMPORTS BY PORT CITY: Los Angeles leads the country in imports, at $322 billion in 2008.
In 1997, Guatemala, the leading corn importer in the region, opened up the TRQ for yellow corn imports, at a 5% in-tariff quota and a 55% out-of-quota tariff [ 33].
Indian taxes gold imports at 15%.
In August, Russia suddenly stopped all Ukrainian imports at the border for stepped-up customs inspections.
Taiwan's exports to China soared to $35.3 billion last year, dwarfing imports, at $11 billion.
China has also begun pulling in imports at a record pace.
So Mexico imports, at high prices, close to 20percentt of the gas it uses.
Yes, one of the world's top oil producers imports at least 40 percent of its refined petroleum.
The hope has been that China will consume an increasing share of its Asian imports at home.
That would be enough, the IEA calculates, to displace 40 years of gas imports at current levels.
