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Trade fraud and non-tariff measures

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  • Kee, Hiau Looi
  • Nicita, Alessandro

Abstract

Similar to tariffs, non-tariff measures (NTMs) may induce trade fraud when they are restrictive. This paper examines whether discrepancies observed in the official trade statistics of importing and exporting countries are partly due to trade fraud from evading border NTMs. To capture the restrictiveness of NTMs, this paper estimates the ad valorem equivalent (AVE) with importer-exporter-product variations. This paper presents a theoretical model and empirical evidence showing that discrepancies increase with AVEs, consistent with the trade fraud due to traders intentionally misdeclaring countries of origin or misclassify products in order to evade border NTMs. The results are driven by homogeneous products and the trade between developed and developing countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Kee, Hiau Looi & Nicita, Alessandro, 2022. "Trade fraud and non-tariff measures," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:inecon:v:139:y:2022:i:c:s0022199622001143
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jinteco.2022.103682
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    3. Alessandro Nicita & Enxhi Tresa, 2022. "Trade policy and trade resilience during the 2020 trade downturn," UNCTAD Working Papers #1, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    4. Al Wazzan, Lynn & Grether, Pablo & Olarreaga, Marcelo, 2023. "Measuring misreporting at customs," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    5. Garcés Iriarte, Irene & Vogt, Achim, 2024. "Global value chain integration and non-tariff measures," Papers 1432, World Trade Institute.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Trade discrepancies; Non-tariff measures; Ad valorem equivalent of NTMs; Tariff evasion; Trade fraud;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F10 - International Economics - - Trade - - - General
    • F14 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Empirical Studies of Trade

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