IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/sap/wpaper/wp187.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

How do organized crime and counterfeit interact in Italian trading firms? An empirical analysis of their effects on trade

Author

Listed:
  • Elton Beqiraj
  • Silvia Fedeli
  • Luisa Giuriato

Abstract

The impact of crime and counterfeiting on Italian trading firms has been rather neglected. Nevertheless, they are important drivers of trade in countries like Italy, whose economic activity is characterized by small/medium-sized firms, highly exposed to the risk of infringement of intellectual property rights by criminal activities of counterfeiting, and, at the same time, not averse to production/exchange of counterfeited goods. We employ a newly-built regional panel data set that includes both economic variables and indicators of counterfeiting activities and criminality during the period of deep economic crisis (2008-2013). Using a dynamic panel data model, we study how counterfeiting affects trade indicators of the Italian firms. We find that commercial exchanges increase when regions are hubs of production or transit points for fakes. The benefit on trade should not hide the consequences of counterfeiting in terms of loss of private investors’ confidence, limits to business innovation and destruction of competitiveness. We also show that profitable counterfeiting activities that target high-value, high-quality goods, and challenge business innovation and competitiveness of the export-oriented firms, have significant depressing impacts on both export and the degree of trade openness.

Suggested Citation

  • Elton Beqiraj & Silvia Fedeli & Luisa Giuriato, 2019. "How do organized crime and counterfeit interact in Italian trading firms? An empirical analysis of their effects on trade," Working Papers in Public Economics 187, University of Rome La Sapienza, Department of Economics and Law.
    • Handle: RePEc:sap:wpaper:wp187
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://web.uniroma1.it/dip_ecodir/sites/default/files/wpapers/wp187.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Douglas Marcouiller, S.J., 2000. "Hijacking, Hold-Up, and International Trade," Boston College Working Papers in Economics 477, Boston College Department of Economics.
    2. Berman, Barry, 2008. "Strategies to detect and reduce counterfeiting activity," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 191-199.
    3. David Roodman, 2009. "How to do xtabond2: An introduction to difference and system GMM in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 9(1), pages 86-136, March.
    4. Robert C. Feenstra, 1998. "Integration of Trade and Disintegration of Production in the Global Economy," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 12(4), pages 31-50, Fall.
    5. Marianne Baxter & Michael A. Kouparitsas, 2005. "What determines bilateral trade flows?," Working Paper Series WP-05-11, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
    6. Krugman, Paul R, 1993. "On the Relationship between Trade Theory and Location Theory," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 1(2), pages 110-122, June.
    7. Blundell, Richard & Bond, Stephen, 1998. "Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 115-143, August.
    8. Michelle R. Garfinkel & Stergios Skaperdas & Constantinos Syropoulos, 2009. "International Trade and Transnational Insecurity: How Comparative Advantage and Power are Jointly Determined," CESifo Working Paper Series 2680, CESifo.
    9. Daniele, Vittorio & Marani, Ugo, 2011. "Organized crime, the quality of local institutions and FDI in Italy: A panel data analysis," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 27(1), pages 132-142, March.
    10. James E. Anderson, 2006. "Commercial Policy in a Predatory World," NBER Working Papers 12576, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Soares, Rodrigo R., 2006. "The welfare cost of violence across countries," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 821-846, September.
    12. Glick, Reuven & Rose, Andrew K., 2002. "Does a currency union affect trade? The time-series evidence," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(6), pages 1125-1151, June.
    13. James E. Anderson & Douglas Marcouiller, 2002. "Insecurity And The Pattern Of Trade: An Empirical Investigation," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 84(2), pages 342-352, May.
    14. Yi Qian, 2012. "Brand Management and Strategies Against Counterfeits," NBER Working Papers 17849, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    15. Alan Zimmerman & Peggy Chaudhry, 2009. "The Economics of Counterfeit Trade," Springer Books, Springer, number 978-3-540-77835-6, November.
    16. Stergios Skaperdas, 2001. "The political economy of organized crime: providing protection when the state does not," Economics of Governance, Springer, vol. 2(3), pages 173-202, November.
    17. Attilio Scaglione, 2016. "Cosa Nostra and Camorra: illegal activities and organisational structures," Global Crime, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(1), pages 60-78, January.
    18. Angela K. Dills & Jeffrey A. Miron & Garrett Summers, 2010. "What Do Economists Know about Crime?," NBER Chapters, in: The Economics of Crime: Lessons For and From Latin America, pages 269-302, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Staake, Thorsten & Thiesse, Frédéric & Fleisch, Elgar, 2012. "Business strategies in the counterfeit market," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 65(5), pages 658-665.
    20. Yi Qian, 2008. "Impacts of Entry by Counterfeiters," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 123(4), pages 1577-1609.
    21. Yi Qian, 2011. "Counterfeiters: Foes or Friends? How Do Counterfeits Affect Different Product Quality Tiers?," NBER Working Papers 16785, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    22. Baier, Scott L. & Bergstrand, Jeffrey H., 2001. "The growth of world trade: tariffs, transport costs, and income similarity," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(1), pages 1-27, February.
    23. Windmeijer, Frank, 2005. "A finite sample correction for the variance of linear efficient two-step GMM estimators," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 126(1), pages 25-51, May.
    24. Anderson, T. W. & Hsiao, Cheng, 1982. "Formulation and estimation of dynamic models using panel data," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 47-82, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Beqiraj, Elton & Fedeli, Silvia & Giuriato, Luisa, 2020. "Policy tolerance of economic crime? An empirical analysis of the effect of counterfeiting on Italian trade," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    2. Pedro Albarran & Raquel Carrasco & Adelheid Holl, 2013. "Domestic transport infrastructure and firms’ export market participation," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 40(4), pages 879-898, May.
    3. DELL'ANNO, Roberto & VILLA, Stefania, 2012. "Growth in Transition Countries: Big Bang versus Gradualism," CELPE Discussion Papers 122, CELPE - CEnter for Labor and Political Economics, University of Salerno, Italy.
    4. José María ARRANZ & Carlos GARCÍA SERRANO & Virginia HERNANZ, 2013. "Active labour market policies in Spain: A macroeconomic evaluation," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 152(2), pages 327-348, June.
    5. Nguyen Phuc Canh & Nguyen Thanh Binh & Su Dinh Thanh & Christophe Schinckus, 2020. "Determinants of foreign direct investment inflows: The role of economic policy uncertainty," International Economics, CEPII research center, issue 161, pages 159-172.
    6. Rahman, Mizanur, 2008. "The Impact of a Common Currency on East Asian Production Networks and China’s Exports Behavior," MPRA Paper 13931, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Alvina Sabah Idrees & Saima Sarwar, 2021. "State effectiveness, property rights and entrepreneurial behaviour as determinants of National Innovation," Australian Economic Papers, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 60(3), pages 392-423, September.
    8. Emmanuel Owusu-Sekyere & Reneé van Eyden & Francis M Kemegue, 2014. "Remittances and the Dutch Disease in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Dynamic Panel Approach," Contemporary Economics, University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw., vol. 8(3), September.
    9. Masako Ikegami & Zijian Wang, 2023. "Does military expenditure crowd out health-care spending? Cross-country empirics," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 1657-1672, April.
    10. Martin Andersson & Hans Lööf, 2011. "Agglomeration and productivity: evidence from firm-level data," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 46(3), pages 601-620, June.
    11. Silvia Fedeli & Vitantonio Mariella & Marco Onofri, 2018. "Determinants of Joblessness During the Economic Crisis: Impact of Criminality in the Italian Labour Market," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 139(2), pages 559-588, September.
    12. Heath Henderson & Leonardo Corral & Eric Simning & Paul Winters, 2015. "Land Accumulation Dynamics in Developing Country Agriculture," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 51(6), pages 743-761, June.
    13. Laura Rovegno, 2013. "Trade protection and market power: evidence from US antidumping and countervailing duties," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 149(3), pages 443-476, September.
    14. Kam-Ki Tang & Benjamin ShiJie Wong, "undated". "The Ageing, Longevity and Crowding Out Effects on Private and Public Savings: Evidence from Dynamic Panel Analysis," MRG Discussion Paper Series 3409, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.
    15. Zakaria Sorgho & Joe Tharakan, 2022. "Do PTAs with Environmental Provisions Reduce GHG Emissions? Distinguishing the Role of Climate-Related Provisions," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 83(3), pages 709-732, November.
    16. Gründler, Klaus & Scheuermeyer, Philipp, 2015. "Income inequality, economic growth, and the effect of redistribution," W.E.P. - Würzburg Economic Papers 95, University of Würzburg, Department of Economics.
    17. Sorgho, Zakaria & Tharakan, Joe, 2022. "Do PTAs with environmental provisions reduce GHG emissions? Distinguishing the effectiveness of climate-related provisions," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2022012, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    18. Charles Mawusi, 2021. "Economic Uncertainty and Remittances to Developing Economies: A System GMM Approach," Working Papers hal-03147813, HAL.
    19. Roberto Dell'Anno & Stefania Villa, 2013. "Growth in transition countries," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 21(3), pages 381-417, July.
    20. Kate Hynes & Yum K. Kwan & Anthony Foley, 2017. "Local linkages: The interdependence of foreign and domestic firms," Working Papers 201712, School of Economics, University College Dublin.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Trade openness; Export; Small firms; Criminality; Counterfeit;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E26 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Informal Economy; Underground Economy
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade
    • F19 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Other

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sap:wpaper:wp187. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Luisa Giuriato (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dprosit.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.