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