Grey market

A grey market (sometimes called a parallel market, but this can also mean other things; not to be confused with a black market or a grey economy) is the trade of a commodity through distribution channels that are legal but unintended by the original manufacturer. The most common type of grey market is the sale, by individuals or small companies not authorised by the manufacturer, of imported goods which would otherwise be either more expensive or unavailable in the country to which they are being imported. An example of this would be the import and subsequent re-sale of Apple products by unlicensed intermediaries in countries such as South Korea where Apple does not currently operate retail outlets and licensed reseller markups are high.

Description

Grey market goods are legal, non-counterfeit goods sold outside normal distribution channels by entities which may have no relationship with the producer of the goods. This form of parallel import frequently occurs when the price of an item is significantly higher in one country than another. This commonly takes place with electronic equipment such as cameras. Entrepreneurs buy the product where it is available cheaply, often at retail but sometimes at wholesale, and import it legally to the target market. They then sell it at a price high enough to provide a profit but under the normal market price. International efforts to promote free trade, including reduced tariffs and harmonised national standards, facilitate this form of arbitrage whenever manufacturers attempt to preserve highly disparate pricing. Because of the nature of grey markets, it is difficult or impossible to track the precise numbers of grey market sales. Grey market goods are often new, but some grey market goods are used goods. A market in used goods is sometimes nicknamed a green market.