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What's the impact of regulations on business activity? Read brief summaries of important research papers on regulations affecting the importing and exporting of goods.
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:
What's the impact of regulations on business activity? Read brief summaries of important research papers on regulations affecting the importing and exporting of goods.
| Region or Economy | Documents 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 & Pacific | 6.7 | 23.1 | 909.3 | 7.1 | 24.3 | 952.8 |
| Eastern Europe & Central Asia | 6.5 | 26.8 | 1,581.8 | 7.8 | 28.4 | 1,773.5 |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 6.8 | 18.6 | 1,243.6 | 7.3 | 20.9 | 1,481.0 |
| Middle East & North Africa | 6.4 | 22.5 | 1,034.8 | 7.4 | 25.9 | 1,221.7 |
| OECD | 4.3 | 10.5 | 1,089.7 | 4.9 | 11.0 | 1,145.9 |
| South Asia | 8.5 | 32.4 | 1,364.1 | 9.0 | 32.2 | 1,509.1 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 7.8 | 33.6 | 1,941.8 | 8.8 | 39.4 | 2,365.4 |
| Afghanistan | 12 | 74 | 3,350 | 11 | 77 | 3,000 |
| Albania | 7 | 19 | 725 | 9 | 18 | 710 |
| Algeria | 8 | 17 | 1,248 | 9 | 23 | 1,428 |
| Angola | 11 | 65 | 2,250 | 8 | 59 | 3,240 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 5 | 15 | 1,133 | 5 | 15 | 1,633 |
| Argentina | 9 | 13 | 1,480 | 7 | 16 | 1,810 |
| Armenia | 5 | 17 | 1,731 | 7 | 20 | 2,096 |
| Australia | 6 | 9 | 1,060 | 5 | 8 | 1,119 |
| Austria | 4 | 7 | 1,180 | 5 | 8 | 1,195 |
| Azerbaijan | 9 | 46 | 2,980 | 14 | 50 | 3,480 |
| Bahamas, the | 5 | 16 | 930 | 5 | 13 | 1,380 |
| Bahrain | 5 | 14 | 955 | 6 | 15 | 995 |
| Bangladesh | 6 | 25 | 970 | 8 | 29 | 1,375 |
| Belarus | 8 | 16 | 1,772 | 8 | 21 | 1,770 |
| Belgium | 4 | 8 | 1,619 | 5 | 9 | 1,600 |
| Belize | 7 | 21 | 1,710 | 6 | 21 | 1,870 |
| Benin | 7 | 30 | 1,251 | 7 | 32 | 1,400 |
| Bhutan | 8 | 38 | 1,210 | 11 | 38 | 2,140 |
| Bolivia | 8 | 19 | 1,425 | 7 | 23 | 1,747 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 6 | 16 | 1,125 | 7 | 16 | 1,090 |
| Botswana | 6 | 30 | 2,810 | 9 | 41 | 3,264 |
| Brazil | 8 | 12 | 1,540 | 7 | 16 | 1,440 |
| Brunei Darussalam | 6 | 28 | 630 | 6 | 19 | 708 |
| Bulgaria | 5 | 23 | 1,551 | 7 | 21 | 1,666 |
| Burkina Faso | 11 | 41 | 2,262 | 11 | 49 | 3,830 |
| Burundi | 9 | 47 | 2,747 | 10 | 71 | 4,285 |
| Cambodia | 11 | 22 | 732 | 11 | 30 | 872 |
| Cameroon | 10 | 23 | 1,250 | 11 | 26 | 2,002 |
| Canada | 3 | 7 | 1,610 | 4 | 11 | 1,660 |
| Cape Verde | 5 | 19 | 1,325 | 5 | 18 | 1,129 |
| Central African Republic | 9 | 54 | 5,491 | 17 | 62 | 5,554 |
| Chad | 6 | 75 | 5,497 | 10 | 100 | 6,150 |
| Chile | 6 | 21 | 745 | 7 | 21 | 795 |
| China | 7 | 21 | 500 | 5 | 24 | 545 |
| Colombia | 6 | 14 | 1,770 | 8 | 14 | 1,750 |
| Comoros | 10 | 30 | 1,073 | 10 | 21 | 1,057 |
| Congo, Dem. Rep. | 8 | 44 | 2,607 | 9 | 63 | 2,483 |
| Congo, Rep. | 11 | 50 | 2,490 | 12 | 62 | 2,959 |
| Costa Rica | 6 | 13 | 1,190 | 7 | 15 | 1,190 |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 10 | 25 | 1,969 | 9 | 36 | 2,577 |
| Croatia | 7 | 20 | 1,281 | 8 | 16 | 1,141 |
| Cyprus | 5 | 7 | 820 | 6 | 5 | 1,030 |
| Czech Republic | 4 | 17 | 1,060 | 7 | 20 | 1,165 |
| Denmark | 4 | 5 | 744 | 3 | 5 | 744 |
| Djibouti | 5 | 19 | 836 | 5 | 18 | 911 |
| Dominica | 7 | 13 | 1,297 | 8 | 15 | 1,310 |
| Dominican Republic | 6 | 9 | 916 | 7 | 10 | 1,150 |
| Ecuador | 9 | 20 | 1,345 | 7 | 29 | 1,332 |
| Egypt, Arab Rep. | 6 | 14 | 737 | 6 | 15 | 823 |
| El Salvador | 8 | 14 | 880 | 8 | 10 | 820 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 7 | 30 | 1,411 | 7 | 49 | 1,411 |
| Eritrea | 9 | 50 | 1,431 | 13 | 60 | 1,581 |
| Estonia | 3 | 5 | 730 | 4 | 5 | 740 |
| Ethiopia | 8 | 49 | 1,940 | 8 | 45 | 2,993 |
| Fiji | 13 | 24 | 654 | 13 | 24 | 630 |
| Finland | 4 | 8 | 540 | 5 | 8 | 620 |
| France | 2 | 9 | 1,078 | 2 | 11 | 1,248 |
| Gabon | 7 | 20 | 1,945 | 8 | 22 | 1,955 |
| Gambia, the | 6 | 24 | 831 | 8 | 23 | 922 |
| Georgia | 4 | 10 | 1,270 | 4 | 13 | 1,250 |
| Germany | 4 | 7 | 872 | 5 | 7 | 937 |
| Ghana | 6 | 19 | 1,013 | 7 | 29 | 1,203 |
| Greece | 5 | 20 | 1,153 | 6 | 25 | 1,265 |
| Grenada | 6 | 14 | 1,226 | 5 | 19 | 2,479 |
| Guatemala | 10 | 17 | 1,182 | 10 | 17 | 1,302 |
| Guinea | 7 | 33 | 855 | 9 | 32 | 1,391 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 6 | 23 | 1,545 | 6 | 22 | 2,349 |
| Guyana | 7 | 20 | 730 | 8 | 24 | 730 |
| Haiti | 8 | 35 | 1,005 | 10 | 33 | 1,545 |
| Honduras | 7 | 20 | 1,163 | 10 | 23 | 1,190 |
| Hong Kong, China | 4 | 6 | 625 | 4 | 5 | 583 |
| Hungary | 5 | 18 | 1,225 | 7 | 17 | 1,215 |
| Iceland | 5 | 19 | 1,532 | 5 | 14 | 1,674 |
| India | 8 | 17 | 945 | 9 | 20 | 960 |
| Indonesia | 5 | 21 | 704 | 6 | 27 | 660 |
| Iran, Islamic Rep. | 7 | 25 | 1,061 | 8 | 38 | 1,706 |
| Iraq | 10 | 102 | 3,900 | 10 | 101 | 3,900 |
| Ireland | 4 | 7 | 1,109 | 4 | 12 | 1,121 |
| Israel | 5 | 12 | 665 | 4 | 12 | 605 |
| Italy | 4 | 20 | 1,231 | 4 | 18 | 1,231 |
| Jamaica | 6 | 21 | 1,750 | 6 | 22 | 1,420 |
| Japan | 4 | 10 | 989 | 5 | 11 | 1,047 |
| Jordan | 7 | 17 | 730 | 7 | 19 | 1,290 |
| Kazakhstan | 11 | 89 | 3,005 | 13 | 76 | 3,055 |
| Kenya | 9 | 27 | 2,055 | 8 | 25 | 2,190 |
| Kiribati | 6 | 21 | 1,070 | 7 | 21 | 1,070 |
| Korea, Rep. | 3 | 8 | 742 | 3 | 8 | 742 |
| Kosovo | 8 | 17 | 2,270 | 8 | 16 | 2,330 |
| Kuwait | 8 | 17 | 1,060 | 10 | 19 | 1,217 |
| Kyrgyz Republic | 7 | 63 | 3,000 | 7 | 72 | 3,250 |
| Lao PDR | 9 | 50 | 1,860 | 10 | 50 | 2,040 |
| Latvia | 6 | 13 | 600 | 6 | 12 | 801 |
| Lebanon | 5 | 26 | 1,002 | 7 | 35 | 1,203 |
| Lesotho | 6 | 44 | 1,549 | 8 | 49 | 1,715 |
| Liberia | 10 | 17 | 1,232 | 9 | 15 | 1,212 |
| Lithuania | 6 | 10 | 870 | 6 | 11 | 980 |
| Luxembourg | 5 | 6 | 1,420 | 4 | 6 | 1,420 |
| Macedonia, FYR | 6 | 12 | 1,436 | 6 | 11 | 1,420 |
| Madagascar | 4 | 21 | 1,279 | 9 | 26 | 1,660 |
| Malawi | 11 | 41 | 1,713 | 10 | 51 | 2,570 |
| Malaysia | 7 | 18 | 450 | 7 | 14 | 450 |
| Maldives | 8 | 21 | 1,348 | 9 | 20 | 1,348 |
| Mali | 7 | 32 | 2,075 | 10 | 37 | 2,955 |
| Marshall Islands | 5 | 21 | 945 | 5 | 33 | 945 |
| Mauritania | 11 | 39 | 1,520 | 11 | 42 | 1,523 |
| Mauritius | 5 | 14 | 737 | 6 | 14 | 689 |
| Mexico | 5 | 14 | 1,472 | 5 | 17 | 2,050 |
| Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 3 | 30 | 1,295 | 6 | 30 | 1,295 |
| Moldova | 6 | 32 | 1,815 | 7 | 35 | 1,945 |
| Mongolia | 8 | 46 | 2,131 | 8 | 47 | 2,274 |
| Montenegro | 7 | 14 | 775 | 7 | 14 | 890 |
| Morocco | 7 | 14 | 700 | 10 | 17 | 1,000 |
| Mozambique | 7 | 23 | 1,100 | 10 | 30 | 1,475 |
| Namibia | 11 | 29 | 1,686 | 9 | 24 | 1,813 |
| Nepal | 9 | 41 | 1,764 | 10 | 35 | 1,825 |
| Netherlands | 4 | 6 | 895 | 5 | 6 | 942 |
| New Zealand | 7 | 10 | 868 | 5 | 9 | 850 |
| Nicaragua | 5 | 29 | 1,340 | 5 | 29 | 1,420 |
| Niger | 8 | 59 | 3,545 | 10 | 64 | 3,545 |
| Nigeria | 10 | 25 | 1,263 | 9 | 41 | 1,440 |
| Norway | 4 | 7 | 830 | 4 | 7 | 729 |
| Oman | 10 | 22 | 821 | 10 | 26 | 1,037 |
| Pakistan | 9 | 22 | 611 | 8 | 18 | 680 |
| Palau | 6 | 29 | 1,190 | 10 | 33 | 1,132 |
| Panama | 3 | 9 | 729 | 4 | 9 | 879 |
| Papua New Guinea | 7 | 26 | 664 | 9 | 29 | 722 |
| Paraguay | 8 | 33 | 1,440 | 10 | 33 | 1,750 |
| Peru | 7 | 23 | 875 | 8 | 24 | 895 |
| Philippines | 8 | 16 | 816 | 8 | 16 | 819 |
| Poland | 5 | 17 | 884 | 5 | 25 | 884 |
| Portugal | 4 | 16 | 685 | 5 | 15 | 999 |
| Puerto Rico | 7 | 15 | 1,250 | 10 | 16 | 1,250 |
| Qatar | 5 | 21 | 735 | 7 | 20 | 657 |
| Romania | 5 | 12 | 1,275 | 6 | 13 | 1,175 |
| Russian Federation | 8 | 36 | 1,850 | 13 | 36 | 1,850 |
| Rwanda | 9 | 38 | 3,275 | 9 | 35 | 5,070 |
| Samoa | 7 | 27 | 820 | 7 | 31 | 848 |
| São Tomé and Principe | 8 | 27 | 690 | 8 | 29 | 577 |
| Saudi Arabia | 5 | 17 | 681 | 5 | 18 | 678 |
| Senegal | 6 | 11 | 1,098 | 5 | 14 | 1,940 |
| Serbia | 6 | 12 | 1,398 | 6 | 14 | 1,559 |
| Seychelles | 6 | 17 | 1,839 | 5 | 19 | 1,839 |
| Sierra Leone | 7 | 26 | 1,573 | 7 | 31 | 1,639 |
| Singapore | 4 | 5 | 456 | 4 | 3 | 439 |
| Slovak Republic | 6 | 20 | 1,445 | 8 | 25 | 1,445 |
| Slovenia | 6 | 20 | 1,075 | 8 | 21 | 1,130 |
| Solomon Islands | 7 | 24 | 1,023 | 4 | 21 | 1,237 |
| South Africa | 8 | 30 | 1,531 | 9 | 35 | 1,807 |
| Spain | 6 | 9 | 1,221 | 8 | 10 | 1,221 |
| Sri Lanka | 8 | 21 | 715 | 6 | 20 | 745 |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | 6 | 12 | 850 | 6 | 13 | 2,138 |
| St. Lucia | 5 | 14 | 1,600 | 8 | 18 | 2,645 |
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 6 | 12 | 1,290 | 6 | 11 | 1,290 |
| Sudan | 6 | 32 | 2,050 | 6 | 46 | 2,900 |
| Suriname | 8 | 25 | 975 | 7 | 25 | 885 |
| Swaziland | 9 | 21 | 2,184 | 11 | 33 | 2,249 |
| Sweden | 4 | 8 | 697 | 3 | 6 | 735 |
| Switzerland | 4 | 8 | 1,537 | 5 | 9 | 1,540 |
| Syrian Arab Republic | 8 | 15 | 1,190 | 9 | 21 | 1,625 |
| Taiwan, China | 7 | 13 | 720 | 7 | 12 | 732 |
| Tajikistan | 10 | 82 | 3,150 | 10 | 83 | 4,550 |
| Tanzania | 5 | 24 | 1,262 | 7 | 31 | 1,475 |
| Thailand | 4 | 14 | 625 | 3 | 13 | 795 |
| Timor-Leste | 6 | 25 | 1,010 | 7 | 26 | 1,015 |
| Togo | 6 | 24 | 940 | 8 | 29 | 963 |
| Tonga | 7 | 19 | 650 | 6 | 24 | 725 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 5 | 14 | 866 | 6 | 26 | 1,100 |
| Tunisia | 5 | 15 | 783 | 7 | 21 | 858 |
| Turkey | 7 | 14 | 990 | 8 | 15 | 1,063 |
| Uganda | 6 | 37 | 3,190 | 7 | 34 | 3,390 |
| Ukraine | 6 | 31 | 1,230 | 10 | 36 | 1,430 |
| United Arab Emirates | 4 | 8 | 593 | 5 | 9 | 579 |
| United Kingdom | 4 | 9 | 1,030 | 4 | 8 | 1,160 |
| United States | 4 | 6 | 1,050 | 5 | 5 | 1,315 |
| Uruguay | 10 | 19 | 1,100 | 10 | 22 | 1,330 |
| Uzbekistan | 7 | 71 | 3,100 | 11 | 92 | 4,600 |
| Vanuatu | 7 | 26 | 1,497 | 9 | 30 | 1,392 |
| Venezuela, R.B. | 8 | 49 | 2,590 | 9 | 71 | 2,868 |
| Vietnam | 6 | 22 | 756 | 8 | 21 | 940 |
| West Bank and Gaza | 6 | 25 | 835 | 6 | 40 | 1,225 |
| Yemen, Rep. | 6 | 27 | 1,129 | 9 | 25 | 1,475 |
| Zambia | 6 | 53 | 2,664 | 9 | 64 | 3,335 |
| Zimbabwe | 7 | 53 | 3,280 | 9 | 73 | 5,101 |