Report
Published:
Customs-brokers as facilitators in international trade
Written by
Hege Medin
Senior Research Fellow (part time)
Ed.
Summary:
Recent studies suggest that firms can reduce fixed trade costs by hiring intermediaries like trading companies. I argue that customs brokers – a type of intermediary rarely studied in economics before – can play a similar role. Using panel data of Norwegian trade transactions, I show that such brokers are commonly used to clear goods through customs. I find indications of lower sunk costs as well as fixed trade costs for firms that hire such services. However, engaging brokers can be risky, and traders in high-risk products like food are more likely to self-declare. Results are similar for importing and exporting, indicating that customs brokers facilitate both modes of trade.
- Published year: 2017
- Full version: http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2475766
- Publisher: NUPI
- Page count: 32
- Language: Engelsk
Written by
Hege Medin
Senior Research Fellow (part time)