Over the last few decades, businesses have developed sophisticated information systems that allow the capture of vast amounts of data. Such data can be potentially useful for enabling government authorities to improve their processes and services. For example, access to business documents and track and trace information associated with supply chain activities is of great interest to customs administrations. Such information holds the potential to make customs risk assessment processes more efficient and effective and to enable faster clearance of goods crossing borders. Businesses, however, are often not willing to voluntarily share information with the government beyond what is strictly mandated to be shared by law (e.g. submitting customs declarations). There is only limited academic research and a general lack of understanding amongst practitioners about how voluntary business-government information sharing can be achieved. In this study, we present a framework to analyse the barriers, drivers, and enablers of voluntary business-government information sharing and the governance processes that make such voluntary information sharing possible. Our analysis shows that voluntary business-government information sharing can succeed when there are strong drivers and a government agency willing to take the lead in initiating the process.

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This conceptual discussion paper examines the costs of customs and borders across the supply chain. It does that by considering relevant literature and looking back at the authors’ respective contributions in the subject (of almost one and a half decades) with subsequent reflections. A key component of this paper is a cost model that seeks to describe relevant costs that can arise. That model is complemented with two case studies that explore how costs might be reduced. The first case study concerns the import of meat from Mercosur countries into the United Kingdom. The second case study concerns the shipment of flowers from Kenya into the Netherlands. A key finding is the scope for reform through improved information and data sharing and coordinated border management.@en