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Glite Dictionary
customs union

customs union

1 5.0
A group of countries that remove import taxes between themselves and use the same tax on imports from other countries
  • noun
  • /ˈkʌstəmz ˈjunɪən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : unión aduanera
  • Moreover, he foresaw these developments occurring within a Caribbean customs union.
  • a common customs union
  • a common market
  • a customs union agreement

If we can get this right, we voted to leave a protectionist customs union.

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Examples

  • North America's leaders should deepen economic integration by negotiating a customs union.

    Academic text (2008)

  • The Union committed to strengthen the Turkish economy and to prepare it for transition to the customs union.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Does her government rule out a customs union with the European Union?

  • The first option would involve the UK staying in the European Economic Area and a customs union with the EU.

    10 Downing Street

  • The two sides are negotiating the fine points of the future customs union.

    Academic text (1994)

  • And what we've had instead is a very kind of dry, technical debate about the customs union and the single market and the Irish border.

    Triggernometry

  • Everyone knows the familiar danger of trade diversion associated with every free trade area and customs union.

    Academic text (1997)

  • The Jordanian government wants access to the Israeli-Palestinian customs union.

    Academic text (1994)

  • Indeed, a common external tariff—the defining principle of a customs union—is still missing from MERCOSUR.

    Academic text (1993)

  • The European Parliament approved a customs union between Turkey and the EU.

How Integrated

customs union
  • Specialized
1 5.0
Common Market
  • Archaic
4 3.7
free trade
57 3.5

Surface Forms

customs union singular
customs unions plural

Morphology

customs + union

The noun combines 'customs' (duties/controls on imports/exports) with 'union' (a joining or alliance), so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer it denotes an association of countries that coordinate/customs-related policies. While some technical specifics (e.g. common external tariff) are specialised, the core concept is compositional and cross-linguistically familiar, making it transparent.

Etymology

Customs union The noun customs union comes from the idea of countries joining their customs, meaning the rules and 'import taxes' on goods, into a single union so they act like one market at the borders. So it now means an agreement where members remove taxes on goods traded between them but use the same tax for goods coming from outside.