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

View Topic Details

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