How to use this portal
A quick guide to finding exactly what it takes to export your product - in three clicks or fewer.
Four ways in
-
1. Choose your market
From the home page or the Countries page, select the country you want to export to (or from). Each country has a full profile with its key exports and trade agreements.
-
2. Pick a requirement category
Every country is organised into the same nine categories - from customs formalities to trade finance - so you always know where to look.
-
3. Read the requirement
Each page gives you a plain-English overview, the key steps, the documents you will need, the responsible agencies, and links to the official sources.
-
4. Or search directly
If you already know what you need - say “phytosanitary certificate” - use search to jump straight to it across every country.
The nine categories explained
Whatever the country, these are the nine things you may need to check before you export.
1. Compliance requirements
The mandatory product rules, technical regulations and conformity-assessment (testing, certification, marking) your goods must meet before they can legally enter a destination market.
2. Customs formalities
The import/export declarations, documentation, valuation and clearance procedures you complete with customs authorities to move goods across a border.
3. Authorisation and permits
The licences, registrations and permits (import/export licences, quotas, restricted-goods approvals) you must obtain in advance for your specific product or market.
4. Packaging and Labelling
The rules governing how your product must be packaged, marked and labelled, covering language, ingredient and origin declarations, safety symbols and consumer-information requirements.
5. HACCP/SPS requirements
The food-safety, animal- and plant-health (sanitary and phytosanitary) controls, including HACCP-based hygiene systems and certificates, that govern trade in food, agricultural and biological products.
6. Tax information
The duties, VAT/GST, excise and other border taxes applied to your goods, plus the domestic tax obligations tied to importing or exporting.
7. Trade agreements
The free-trade and preferential agreements that can lower or remove your tariffs, together with the rules of origin you must satisfy to claim those preferences.
8. Trade finance providers
Banks, development-finance institutions and guarantee programmes that supply letters of credit, working capital, insurance and risk cover to finance your export and import transactions.
9. Trade promotion agencies
National and international agencies that help exporters with market intelligence, buyer contacts, trade missions and export-readiness support, usually free of charge.
Understanding freshness
Trade rules change. Every entry shows when it was last verified. A green Verified badge means it was checked recently; an amber May be outdated badge is a prompt to confirm with the official source before you rely on it. Either way, we always link you to the primary source.