How the U.S. ranks internationally in its import and export procedures

The United States is the seventh best environment to do business in overall according to the World Bank’s ease of doing business rankings. Getting credit and resolving insolvency are two of the United States’ strong points, helping it score above Canada at 16th place and Mexico at 39th. Here are the top ten countries for doing business according to the World Bank.

Top countries for ease of doing business

1. Singapore
2. New Zealand
3. Hong Kong
4. Denmark
5. South Korea
6. Norway
7. United States
8. United Kingdom
9. Finland
10. Australia

In terms of trading across borders the United States rates 16th internationally, just ahead of Mauritius. In the U.S. the number of documents required to export or import are comparatively low, as are the number of days for this procedure.

Top countries for trading across borders

1. Singapore
2. Hong Kong
3. South Korea
4. Sweden
5. Ireland

15. United Kingdom
16. United States
17. Mauritius

23. Canada

44. Mexico

What sets the U.S. back from the top spots are costs. The cost per container is over USD 1,000 for both imports and exports, well above some of the highest ranking countries according to the World Bank. These costs include those incurred in the course of preparing documentation, administrative fees for customs clearance and technical control, customs broker fees, terminal handling charges and inland transport.

The United States fell one place in terms of trading across borders from last year’s World Bank rankings, suggesting there is room for improvement.