Trading Across Borders

This topic looks at the procedural requirements for exporting and importing a standardized cargo of goods. Documents associated with every official procedure are counted—from the contractual agreement between the 2 parties to the delivery of goods—along with the time necessary for completion.

The data appearing on this page was collected as part of the Doing Business project, which measures and compares regulations relevant to the life cycle of a small to medium-sized domestic business in 183 economies. The most recent round of data collection for the project was completed in June 2011.

= Subnational Doing Business data available.

Topic Analysis

Download this year's topic chapter. This material is not included in the Doing Business 2012 report.

The total number of documents required per shipment to export goods. Documents required for clearance by government ministries, customs authorities, port and container terminal authorities, health and technical control agencies and banks are taken into account.

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Documents to export (number)

The time necessary to comply with all procedures required to export goods. If a procedure can be accelerated for an additional cost, the fastest legal procedure is chosen.

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Time to export (days)

The cost associated with all procedures required to export goods. Includes the costs for documents, administrative fees for customs clearance and technical control, customs broker fees, terminal handling charges and inland transport.

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Cost to export (US$ per container)

The total number of documents required per shipment to import goods. Documents required for clearance by government ministries, customs authorities, port and container terminal authorities, health and technical control agencies and banks are taken into account.

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Documents to import (number)

The time necessary to comply with all procedures required to import goods. If a procedure can be accelerated for an additional cost, the fastest legal procedure is chosen.

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Time to import (days)

The cost associated with all procedures required to import goods, including for documents, administrative fees for customs clearance and technical control, customs broker fees, terminal handling charges and inland transport.

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Cost to import (US$ per container)
East Asia & Pacific622906723954
Eastern Europe & Central Asia7271,7748291,990
Latin America & Caribbean6181,2577201,546
Middle East & North Africa6201,0578241,238
OECD high income4101,0325111,085
South Asia8321,5909331,768
Sub-Saharan Africa8311,9608372,502
Afghanistan10743,54510773,830
Albania719745818730
Algeria8171,2489271,318
Angola11481,8508452,690
Antigua and Barbuda5161,2025151,633
Argentina7131,4807161,810
Armenia5131,8158182,195
Australia691,060581,119
Austria471,180581,195
Azerbaijan8382,90510423,405
Bahamas, The5199305131,405
Bahrain611955715995
Bangladesh6259658311,370
Belarus9152,21010302,615
Belgium481,429581,600
Belize6211,5056211,650
Benin7301,0498321,496
Bhutan8382,23012382,805
Bolivia8191,4257231,747
Bosnia and Herzegovina8151,2409161,200
Botswana6283,1858413,420
Brazil7132,2158172,275
Brunei Darussalam619680615745
Bulgaria5211,5516171,666
Burkina Faso10412,41210494,030
Burundi9352,96510544,855
Cambodia9227321026872
Cameroon11231,37912252,167
Canada371,6104111,660
Cape Verde5191,2005181,000
Central African Republic9545,49117625,554
Chad8755,902111018,525
Chile621795620795
China821500524545
Colombia5142,2706132,830
Comoros10301,20710211,191
Congo, Dem. Rep.8443,0559633,285
Congo, Rep.11503,81810627,709
Costa Rica6131,1907151,190
Côte d'Ivoire10251,9699362,577
Croatia7201,3008161,180
Cyprus5779075900
Czech Republic4171,0607201,165
Denmark4574435744
Djibouti518836518911
Dominica7131,3408151,350
Dominican Republic681,0407101,150
Ecuador8201,4557251,432
Egypt, Arab Rep.812613912755
El Salvador814845810845
Equatorial Guinea7291,4117481,411
Eritrea10501,43112591,581
Estonia3572545725
Ethiopia7421,7609442,660
Fiji10226551023635
Finland4854058620
France291,0782111,248
Gabon7201,9458221,955
Gambia, The623831721885
Georgia4101,5954131,715
Germany4787257937
Ghana6191,0137291,315
Greece5201,1536251,265
Grenada5108765122,028
Guatemala10171,1279171,302
Guinea7358559321,391
Guinea-Bissau6231,4486222,006
Guyana719730822745
Haiti8331,18510311,545
Honduras6181,2428221,420
Hong Kong SAR, China4557545565
Hungary6161,0157181,085
Iceland5191,5325141,674
India
Subnational Data
8161,0959201,070
Indonesia417644727660
Iran, Islamic Rep.7251,2758321,885
Iraq10803,55010833,650
Ireland471,1094121,121
Israel510610410545
Italy4201,2454181,245
Jamaica6211,4106221,420
Japan310880511970
Jordan6138257151,335
Kazakhstan9763,13012623,290
Kenya8262,0557242,190
Kiribati6211,1207211,120
Korea, Rep.3768037695
Kosovo8172,2708162,280
Kuwait7161,08510191,242
Kyrgyz Republic8633,2109723,450
Lao PDR9441,88010462,035
Latvia510600611801
Lebanon5221,0507321,250
Lesotho8311,6808351,665
Liberia10151,2209141,200
Lithuania6987069980
Luxembourg561,420461,420
Macedonia, FYR6121,3766111,380
Madagascar4211,1979241,555
Malawi10411,6759512,570
Malaysia617450714435
Maldives8211,5509221,526
Mali6262,2029313,067
Marshall Islands521945525970
Mauritania8341,5208381,523
Mauritius513737613689
Mexico5121,4504121,780
Micronesia, Fed. Sts.5301,2956301,295
Moldova6321,5457351,740
Mongolia8462,2658472,400
Montenegro614805614915
Morocco611577816950
Mozambique7231,10010281,545
Namibia9291,8007241,905
Nepal9411,9609352,095
Netherlands4689556975
New Zealand71085559825
Nicaragua5241,1405231,220
Niger8593,54510643,545
Nigeria10241,2639391,440
Norway4783047729
Oman81074589680
Pakistan
Subnational Data
721660818705
Palau6291,07010331,030
Panama3961549965
Papua New Guinea726664929722
Paraguay8331,44010331,750
Peru612860817880
Philippines715630814730
Poland5171,0505161,000
Portugal416685515899
Puerto Rico (U.S.) 6151,30010161,300
Qatar521860720730
Romania5121,4856131,495
Russian Federation8361,85010361,800
Rwanda8293,2758314,990
Samoa727820731848
São Tomé and Príncipe 826690828577
Saudi Arabia513615517686
Senegal6111,0985141,740
Serbia6121,4336141,609
Seychelles516876517876
Sierra Leone7241,5737271,639
Singapore4545644439
Slovak Republic6171,5607171,540
Slovenia616710815765
Solomon Islands7241,0305211,237
South Africa8301,5318321,795
Spain691,2217101,221
Sri Lanka621715619745
St. Kitts and Nevis5118505122,138
St. Lucia5141,7008182,745
St. Vincent and the Grenadines5121,0754121,605
Sudan7322,0507462,900
Suriname8259956251,065
Swaziland9181,8559272,030
Sweden3869736735
Switzerland481,537591,540
Syrian Arab Republic8151,1909211,625
Taiwan, China612655612720
Tajikistan11823,8509834,550
Tanzania6181,2556241,430
Thailand514625513750
Timor-Leste6251,0107261,015
Togo6249408281,109
Tonga720775624775
Trinidad and Tobago5148436191,260
Tunisia413773717858
Turkey7149908151,063
Uganda7372,8809343,015
Ukraine6301,8658332,155
United Arab Emirates4763057635
United Kingdom47950461,045
United States461,050551,315
Uruguay9171,1009221,330
Uzbekistan10713,15011924,650
Vanuatu7211,6908201,690
Venezuela, RB8492,5909712,868
Vietnam622580821670
West Bank and Gaza6231,3106401,295
Yemen, Rep.6278909251,475
Zambia6442,6788563,315
Zimbabwe8533,2809735,101

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