gopal.delaxo

The United States offers excellent transportation and communications infrastructure (ranks third). It also offers good market access (sixth) and relative openness to multilateral trade rules. However, customs procedures are seen as comparatively burdensome (42nd), and there is a relatively high cost to import (65th). In addition, there are some concerns about security in the country.

Canada is the third overall for its market access. It boasts efficient clearance procedures and requires few documents to import goods. Its border administration is highly transparent. The country ranks third in the availability and quality of its transport infrastructure.

Luxembourg ranks first in mobile telephone subscribers and fifth in rules that encourage foreign investment.

The Netherlands has good transport and communications systems. It ranks second in quality of port infrastructure and first in ease and affordability of shipment. Its relatively low concentration of airports, however, is a drawback. This country ranks first in the portion of population using the Internet.

Denmark has excellent border administration, with import-export procedures that are so efficient as to place the country first in this category. It also offers excellent transport and communications infrastructure, high levels of physical security and a very reliable police force.

Norway ranks second out of all countries for the ease of access to the country’s market. The country has efficient and transparent border administration. Its secure business environment ensures safe arrival of goods to destination.

Sweden boasts high-quality transport infrastructure and services. It has a highly efficient and transparent border administration, requiring, for example, few days and few documents to import goods.

Finland has the best business environment of all countries covered. It is known for rules fostering foreign ownership and ease in hiring foreign labor relative to many other European countries. It also has an excellent security environment.

Germany has an excellent business environment (fourth). Its regulatory environment is conducive to the functioning of the logistics and transport industry. It has an excellent security environment. The country’s postal service and its transportation and communications infrastructure are among the best in the world.

Austria boasts strong engagement with multilateral trade talks. It offers ease of shipment once goods enter the country; it ranks first in road networks. It offers a safe business environment.

Switzerland has a very good market access ranking (fifth), an excellent security environment and a supportive regulatory environment, with open bilateral Air Service Agreements and a relative ease of hiring foreign labor. Border administration is transparent and corruption-free.

Japan offers good market access and excellent physical security. However, some aspects of the regulatory environment are not conducive to trade: in particular, laws that discourage foreign investment and legal obstacles to hiring foreign labor. Businesses consider customs procedures to be somewhat cumbersome. The cost of importing goods is almost three times higher than in Singapore.

Hong Kong is a very open market, with a pro-trade attitude and a high dependence on exports and imports, secure and open business environment, well-developed transport and telecommunications infrastructure, and efficient border administration. Businesses, however, express some concerns about corruption.

Singapore has highly efficient and transparent border administration and an equally open business environment. There is a well-developed transport and communications infrastructure. Customs procedures are assessed as the least burdensome and the cost of importing goods is the lowest in the world. However, access to Singapore’s market is fairly difficult, hampered by non-tariff barriers and little openness to multilateral trade rules.

New Zealand has highly efficient and transparent border administration as well as low tariff and non-tariff barriers. It has high levels of physical security and is fairly welcoming to foreign investment. Obstacles persist in hiring foreign labor. The country needs to upgrade the quality of roads and railroads to further facilitate the flow of goods to destinations in the country.