Trading Across Borders

This topic looks at the procedural requirements for exporting and importing a standardized cargo of goods. Every official procedure is counted -- from the contractual agreement between the 2 parties to the delivery of goods -- along with the time necessary for completion.

The table below shows the main indicators. They include:
  • number of all documents required to export/import goods,
  • time necessary to comply with all procedures required to export/import goods, and
  • cost associated with all the procedures required to export/import goods
To see the details for a specific economy, use the dropdown box on the right or click on the links below. Click on column headers to sort data.

Export to Excel | Local partners | Methodology

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Research

Trading on Time (PDF, 100KB), by Simeon Djankov, Caroline Freund, and Cong S. Pham, Nov. 2008.

Region or EconomyDocuments to export (number)Time to export (days)Cost to export (US$ per container)Documents to import (number)Time to import (days)Cost to import (US$ per container)
OECD4.310.51,089.74.911.01,145.9
Latin America & Caribbean6.818.61,243.67.320.91,481.0
Middle East & North Africa6.422.51,034.87.425.91,221.7
East Asia & Pacific6.723.1909.37.124.3952.8
Eastern Europe & Central Asia6.526.81,581.87.828.41,773.5
South Asia8.532.41,364.19.032.21,509.1
Sub-Saharan Africa7.833.61,941.88.839.42,365.4
Denmark4574435744
Estonia3573045740
Singapore4545643439
Hong Kong, China4662545583
Luxembourg561,420461,420
Netherlands4689556942
United States461,050551,315
Austria471,180581,195
Canada371,6104111,660
Cyprus57820651,030
Germany4787257937
Ireland471,1094121,121
Norway4783047729
Belgium481,619591,600
Finland4854058620
Korea, Rep.3874238742
Sweden4869736735
Switzerland481,537591,540
United Arab Emirates4859359579
Australia691,060581,119
Dominican Republic699167101,150
France291,0782111,248
Panama3972949879
Spain691,2218101,221
United Kingdom491,030481,160
Georgia4101,2704131,250
Japan4109895111,047
Lithuania610870611980
New Zealand71086859850
Senegal6111,0985141,940
Brazil8121,5407161,440
Israel512665412605
Macedonia, FYR6121,4366111,420
Romania5121,2756131,175
Serbia6121,3986141,559
St. Kitts and Nevis6128506132,138
St. Vincent and the Grenadines6121,2906111,290
Argentina9131,4807161,810
Costa Rica6131,1907151,190
Dominica7131,2978151,310
Latvia613600612801
Taiwan, China713720712732
Bahrain514955615995
Colombia6141,7708141,750
Egypt, Arab Rep.614737615823
El Salvador814880810820
Grenada6141,2265192,479
Mauritius514737614689
Mexico5141,4725172,050
Montenegro714775714890
Morocco71470010171,000
St. Lucia5141,6008182,645
Thailand414625313795
Trinidad and Tobago5148666261,100
Turkey7149908151,063
Antigua and Barbuda5151,1335151,633
Puerto Rico7151,25010161,250
Syrian Arab Republic8151,1909211,625
Tunisia515783721858
Bahamas, the5169305131,380
Belarus8161,7728211,770
Bosnia and Herzegovina6161,1257161,090
Philippines816816816819
Portugal416685515999
Czech Republic4171,0607201,165
Algeria8171,2489231,428
Armenia5171,7317202,096
Guatemala10171,18210171,302
India817945920960
Jordan7177307191,290
Kosovo8172,2708162,330
Kuwait8171,06010191,217
Liberia10171,2329151,212
Poland517884525884
Saudi Arabia517681518678
Seychelles6171,8395191,839
Hungary5181,2257171,215
Malaysia718450714450
Albania719725918710
Bolivia8191,4257231,747
Cape Verde5191,3255181,129
Djibouti519836518911
Ghana6191,0137291,203
Iceland5191,5325141,674
Tonga719650624725
Uruguay10191,10010221,330
Croatia7201,2818161,141
Ecuador9201,3457291,332
Gabon7201,9458221,955
Greece5201,1536251,265
Guyana720730824730
Honduras7201,16310231,190
Italy4201,2314181,231
Slovak Republic6201,4458251,445
Slovenia6201,0758211,130
Belize7211,7106211,870
Chile621745721795
China721500524545
Indonesia521704627660
Jamaica6211,7506221,420
Kiribati6211,0707211,070
Madagascar4211,2799261,660
Maldives8211,3489201,348
Marshall Islands521945533945
Qatar521735720657
Sri Lanka821715620745
Swaziland9212,18411332,249
Cambodia11227321130872
Oman102282110261,037
Pakistan922611818680
Vietnam622756821940
Bulgaria5231,5517211,666
Cameroon10231,25011262,002
Guinea-Bissau6231,5456222,349
Mozambique7231,10010301,475
Peru723875824895
Fiji13246541324630
Gambia, the624831823922
Solomon Islands7241,0234211,237
Tanzania5241,2627311,475
Togo624940829963
Bangladesh6259708291,375
Côte d'Ivoire10251,9699362,577
Iran, Islamic Rep.7251,0618381,706
Nigeria10251,2639411,440
Suriname825975725885
Timor-Leste6251,0107261,015
West Bank and Gaza6258356401,225
Lebanon5261,0027351,203
Papua New Guinea726664929722
Sierra Leone7261,5737311,639
Vanuatu7261,4979301,392
Kenya9272,0558252,190
Samoa727820731848
São Tomé and Principe827690829577
Yemen, Rep.6271,1299251,475
Brunei Darussalam628630619708
Namibia11291,6869241,813
Nicaragua5291,3405291,420
Palau6291,19010331,132
Benin7301,2517321,400
Botswana6302,8109413,264
Comoros10301,07310211,057
Equatorial Guinea7301,4117491,411
Micronesia, Fed. Sts.3301,2956301,295
South Africa8301,5319351,807
Ukraine6311,23010361,430
Mali7322,07510372,955
Moldova6321,8157351,945
Sudan6322,0506462,900
Guinea7338559321,391
Paraguay8331,44010331,750
Haiti8351,00510331,545
Russian Federation8361,85013361,850
Uganda6373,1907343,390
Bhutan8381,21011382,140
Rwanda9383,2759355,070
Mauritania11391,52011421,523
Burkina Faso11412,26211493,830
Malawi11411,71310512,570
Nepal9411,76410351,825
Congo, Dem. Rep.8442,6079632,483
Lesotho6441,5498491,715
Azerbaijan9462,98014503,480
Mongolia8462,1318472,274
Burundi9472,74710714,285
Ethiopia8491,9408452,993
Venezuela, R.B.8492,5909712,868
Congo, Rep.11502,49012622,959
Eritrea9501,43113601,581
Lao PDR9501,86010502,040
Zambia6532,6649643,335
Zimbabwe7533,2809735,101
Central African Republic9545,49117625,554
Niger8593,54510643,545
Kyrgyz Republic7633,0007723,250
Angola11652,2508593,240
Uzbekistan7713,10011924,600
Afghanistan12743,35011773,000
Chad6755,497101006,150
Tajikistan10823,15010834,550
Kazakhstan11893,00513763,055
Iraq101023,900101013,900