Abstract One consequence of tariff evasion is that a country’s average statutory import tariff rate deviates from the average applied tariff rate. We deliver an approach to estimate the average evasion rate in multi-country general equilibrium. We find evidence of significant average tariff evasion which leads to downward-biased estimates of the elasticity-of-substitution parameter in new trade theory models and associated upward-biased comparative static welfare effects of trade liberalization.