Every year low- and middle-income countries import goods worth more than $7 trillion, and in many states these shipments must first pass through the hands of corrupt customs officials.
This project will study whether customs officers affect firms’ bribery costs and trade costs, and how these officers' time horizons and professional relationships operate as mechanisms.
This project attempts to provide rigorous evidence on what governments can do to facilitate the transition from low-value added to high-value added exports (product diversification) or entry into new export markets (market diversification).