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