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