Whilst there is a consensus regarding the benefits of freer trade and more neutralised trade policy regimes, in practice protection continues to exist. While progress on tariff reduction has occurred as a consequence of the uruguay round, it is clear that much remains to be done. There has been a considerable decline in average tariff rates in developing countries, especially in asia and africa, but this has occurred in an uneven manner, thereby increasing tariff dispersion. This implies that countries with low average tariff rates are likely to have very high tariff peaks and exhibit escalation at higher levels of disaggregation. Even though the traditional argument that interest groups lobby for protection could provide an explanation for dispersed protection across industries, this argument is, at best, tenuous. A better understanding of what factors drive the divergence between theory and practice would also help economists to convey to policymakers, and to the public, the benefits from freer trade. Such understanding would also contribute positively to the effort to further reduce tariffs and perhaps making substantial inroads into the other negotiations occurring as part of the world trade organistation's doha round.