Customs Agents Facing State-Driven Technological Changes: Perceptions of the Digitization of Goods Clearance in Chile

Globally, states are incorporating various digital tools with the purpose of accelerating customs management of export and import goods. An example of this is the implementation of electronic single windows that seek to streamline the transmission of information on export and import operations by generating a single data entry point that can be accessed by different interconnected state and private entities. For customs clearance, some States require the collaboration of intermediaries known as customs agents: private actors who collaborate in the public function of customs control. Customs agents are licensed by the State to act as such, and are hired by exporters and importers to manage their operations with the customs authority. A digital reform of this type is a governance mechanism that involves coordination between institutions, interaction between the State and private actors, and the redefinition of the role of different actors. However, this can create tensions with actors who collaborate with the State. The objective of this study is to determine the perceptions of customs agents—as incumbent actors and collaborators of the State—regarding the implementation of new technologies by the State, through an analysis of the case of Chilean customs agents in the context of the implementation of a single window system for foreign trade by the Chilean customs authority. To this end, a qualitative study was conducted based on 15 semi-structured interviews with customs agents, including both current and former government officials. The data obtained were coded using MAXQDA software. The results show that the State has had to integrate customs agents into the implementation process, primarily due to their expert knowledge. On the other hand, some customs agents have viewed the implementation of the single window system with apprehension, while others have attempted to embrace the technological change since its inception, collaborating with the government. In order to protect their profession, the agents have sought opportunities for dialogue with the authorities and state agencies. Furthermore, customs agents and public officials agree that one of the system’s main weaknesses is the lack of participation from other government agencies in the operation of the single window system, thus failing to meet the State’s own established plans: the interconnection of different state agencies at a single point. This, in turn, reveals weaknesses in collaborative governance. In short, the implementation of a single window has been a major challenge for actors collaborating in the public customs function, producing tensions in its governance.