Although we tend to think of globalization as a modern phenomenon, the hallmarks of its activity, from free trade zones to duty rates, have been around for millennia. Evidence of customs activity has been excavated all over the world, from the ports of ancient Greece to the Great Wall of China. The evidence suggests that complex systems of controls and taxes on traded commodities were in existence well before industrialization, as well as the reasoning behind them. It was easy to see among small populations that unmitigated dependence on foreign merchandise would indebt and stress the community.

Scholars believe that the earliest customs fees were actually voluntary, and offered by travelling merchants as a bribe to sovereigns for considerate treatment. Over time, this bribe became mandatory. It was called ‘duty,’ a fee charged for the privilege of trading in a particular kingdom. The collection itself was outsourced to tax farmers, who would use any means necessary — including violence — to obtain what had become a key revenue source for monarchies. The first written customs tariff was developed in Palmyra (present day Syria) and was engraved in stone. However, professional customs offices and officials were introduced by ancient Rome.

Despite major advances, the essence of customs has neither disappeared nor changed. While today’s agencies screen for a variety of novel threats, from security to the environment, protecting the local market is the motivation behind every decision, even if it is not always clear to the importer.

(source: Border Bee, A brief history of customs, retrieved on 11 September 2018 from <https://borderbee.com>. Adapted.)