Trade facilitation: definition and current significance for economic development of Russia

At the present stage of the functioning of the multilateral trading system there is an increasing need to find new approaches to the development and facilitation of trade other than the reduction of tariff and non-tariff barriers. Trade facilitation is the field of activity of many international organizations, it is recognized as an effective tool for promoting economic development and capacity building both at the level of an individual state, and within integration associations and regions, which, due to their geographic location have close political and economic ties. The areas targeted by trade facilitation measures are diverse and have evolved over time. This has led to the fact that the concept of trade facilitation does not have a specific applied characteristic, as well as a generally accepted framework for the implementation of initiatives in this area, which undoubtedly deserves scientific attention. This approaches to interpretation of trade facilitation term in Russian practice are described. Also were hold the analyses of considering term definitions, which were defined by international organizations in accordance with their scope of work and those, which are proposed by scientists. The main approaches to understanding of considering term were exposed, that make possible to characterize the essence and main directions of trade facilitation measures implementation. The feasible economical profits of implementing initiations in field of trade facilitation in framework of international trade both from supply and demand are described. In addition, the main perspectives of trade facilitation measures for different participants of international trade were systematized. In conclusion, defined authors approach for understanding of trade facilitation term concerning the interests of Russia in this sphere. The author identified the most relevant vectors for the implementation of measures to facilitate trade procedures, which reflect the current directions for the implementation of the economic policy of the Russian Federation, as well as ensure the creation and maintenance of a favorable business environment to stimulate the development of foreign economic activity and foreign trade.

The Impact of Trade Facilitation on Cross-Border E-Commerce Transactions: Analysis Based on the Marine and Land Cross-Border Logistical Practices between China and Countries along the “Belt and Road”

In the post-epidemic era, cross-border e-commerce has become a new growth point for global foreign trade. Unlike traditional trade, which is dominated by marine transport, cross-border e-commerce transactions have high requirements for both marine and land transport, and the scale of their trade is accordingly limited by the level of trade facilitation i.e., the convenience of cross-border logistics in bilateral trading countries. Based on transaction cost theory, this article takes cross-border e-commerce transactions between China and countries along “The Belt and Road” as the core of the study. From the perspective of marine and land transport timeliness, the theoretical framework is constructed using the marine and land logistics infrastructure, customs clearance environment, government–governance environment, and cross-border logistics services as the main influencing paths; the GMM method is then applied in order to conduct a study on the impact of trade facilitation on the scale effect of cross-border e-commerce. The study finds that marine and land transport infrastructure has the strongest impact, with customs clearance environment and government–governance environment having the second strongest and comparable impact. The findings of the study further clarify the differences in the application of different cross-border logistics facilitation measures, and provide a theoretical basis for improving the timeliness of cross-border e-commerce transactions and reducing trade costs as well as a reference for the realization of land–sea integration and land–sea interconnection under “The Belt and Road” initiative.

Challenges of Customs Law during the Paradigm of “Facility and Security” in International Trade

Changing conditions within international trade as well as the implementation of the facilitation and security paradigm have significantly impacted the structure of customs law. Both the SAFE Framework as well as the Trade Facilitation Agreement had indicated the need to maintain a balance between regulations introducing simplifications and those ensuring safety and security. One example of such a solution is the institution of the authorised economic operator (AEO), which grants those entities opportunities to take advantage of a number of simplifications, such as the filing of the simplified customs declaration, making entries in a registry, or performing self-assessments, but, at the same time, maintains the requirement of safety and security (through a detailed audit of the enterprise before AEO certification). However, by allowing authorised economic operators to perform self-assessment in respect of goods that have entered into the customs territory of the European Union and are to be released for trade, EU legislators have created significant challenges concerning the realm of safety and security, especially concerning the institution that is the most important within that area – that of customs controls. Despite all this, its importance to safety and security remains distinctive and may be seen in the emergence of new types of customs controls which concern only this particular sphere.

The Effect of Transport and Logistics on Trade Facilitation and Trade: A PLS-SEM Approach

Trade facilitation promotes increased opportunities to participate in international trade. Current research has mainly analyzed the impacts of tariff-related and trade barriers. Nevertheless, as trade policies shift toward removing non-tariff barriers, studies addressing core elements become relevant, requiring a more systemic view at a simultaneous level. The study proposes that transportation infrastructure (i.e., roads, seaports, railroads, and airports) and logistics are core elements supporting trade facilitation efforts at the local level. The study provides empirical evidence on the direct and indirect effects among transportation infrastructure, logistics, trade facilitation, and trade. Partial least squares–structural equation modeling is the main empirical method employed to examine the interrelationship of the quality of transportation infrastructure, logistics, trade facilitation, and trade using a sample of 80 countries for the years 2012, 2014, and 2016. There is a large direct effect of transportation infrastructure on trade facilitation and a vast direct effect on logistics. Logistics has a small direct effect on trade facilitation. I also conduct mediation analyses, which show that logistics has a larger effect on trade via trade facilitation than transportation infrastructure quality has. These findings suggest that trade facilitation implementation might not be enough to tackle current challenges and ongoing economic development. Governments should prioritize the integration of logistics stakeholders in the public sector to optimize the benefits of global networks. Thus, the significance of transportation infrastructure and logistics in trade should not be neglected, as the private sector (i.e., logistics providers) play a large and relevant role in practice.