Securing the Border from Invasives: Robust Inspections Under Severe Uncertainty

Joe Moffitt (), John Kevin Stranlund and Craig Osteen ()
Additional contact information
Joe Moffitt: Department of Resource Economics, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Craig Osteen: Economic Research Service, USDA

No 2009-6, Working Papers from University of Massachusetts Amherst, Department of Resource Economics

Abstract: Two important features of agricultural quarantine inspections of shipping containers for invasive species at U.S. ports of entry are the general absence of economic considerations and the severe uncertainty that surrounds invasive species introductions. In this article, we propose and illustrate a method for determining an inspection monitoring protocol that addresses both issues. An inspection monitoring protocol is developed that is robust in maximizing the set of uncertain outcomes over which an economic performance criterion is achieved. The framework is applied to derive an alternative to Agricultural Quarantine Inspection (AQI) for shipments of fruits and vegetables as currently practiced at ports of entry in the United States.

Keywords: Inspection; Invasive Species; Uncertainty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q18 Q57 D81 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009-08

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