Illicit trade and infectious diseases

Arbeitspapier

We collect a novel dataset that covers about 130 countries and the six four-digit live animal categories in the Harmonized System (HS) over a sixteen-year period, to study the link between illicit trade in live animals and threat to animal health from infectious diseases. Our results imply that a one percent increase in illicit imports in an HS four-digit live animal category is associated with a 0.3 to 0.4 percent rise in infections amongst related species in the importing country. We explore the mechanisms and find that mis-classifying or under-pricing an imported species are the channels through which illicit trade impacts animal health.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: WTO Staff Working Paper ; No. ERSD-2020-13

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Empirical Studies of Trade ; Trade and Environment ; Health: Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health ; Illegal Behavior and the Enforcement of Law ; Ecological Economics: Ecosystem Services; Biodiversity Conservation; Bioeconomics; Industrial Ecology
• Subject: illicit trade ; missing imports ; disease ; live animals

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Beverelli, Cosimo ; Ticku, Rohit
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): World Trade Organization (WTO)
• (where): Geneva
• (when): 2020

Further information

• DOI: doi:10.30875/1c1fab07-en
• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/227127
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:42 AM CET