Sourced guides to doing business in each market, and the status of every service there. Partners are in place in 32 markets so far.
One WONE Global Partner for each service in each market. Start from what you need to do, or go straight to a service.
Licences, value chains and the questions businesses in each industry ask first, with the services that usually apply.
Ask WONE Global what applies to your industry in a market, with the sources shown.
What one country changes for the other, worked journeys step by step, and who handles each side.
Named senior professionals, each admitted as the one firm for a service in their country, and the firms they lead.
One Partner per service, per jurisdiction, admitted by review against published criteria.
Every statement is labelled: source-checked, professionally reviewed or not yet checked, with its source and date where checked.
Answers come from statements checked against official sources, with the sources shown. Research, not advice.
Accomplished regional specialists and international cross-border intelligence, across 100 countries, with one contact and one published Standard.
Business situations · Buying and importing across borders
Usually led by Customs, trade and export controls, with Contracts and commercial law, Disputes and arbitration and Business insurance. WONE Global brings the areas of expertise and countries together, with a named professional in each market where one is published.
Decisions
Outcomes
This is a general guide. Your WONE Global professional confirms the work, timing and fees for your markets before anything starts.
Services
One area of expertise usually leads; the others move with it. WONE Global keeps them connected across every country involved.
WONE Global Partners
These are the named professionals for this work. Where none is listed, WONE Global arranges a qualified local firm and tells you who it is first.
Buenos Aires · ArgentinaWONE Global Capability Partner · Argentina
He is a lawyer with a degree from the University of Buenos Aires and a degree in Spanish Law. He completed postgraduate studies in Strategic Business Management at the Polytechnic University of Madrid and the Glocoll at…
Brunswick · AustraliaWONE Global Capability Partner · Australia
São Paulo · BrazilWONE Global Capability Partner · Brazil
Douala · CameroonWONE Global Capability Partner · Cameroon
Shanghai · ChinaWONE Global Capability Partner · China
Roberto Gilardino is Regional Partner at Horizons, supervising the advisory’s activities in North Asia as well as additional countries (including Mongolia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Pakistan, UAE, Cyprus and Malta).
Tel Aviv · IsraelWONE Global Capability Partner · Israel
Adv. Karin Horev has been practicing corporate and commercial law for more than 20 years, with a focus on complex technology-related matters. Over the years, Karin has led a large number of complex and wide-ranging tran…
Buying and importing across borders
What the guides say · Trade, Customs & Supply Chain
Customs and trade rules is usually the first area to review. Choose a market to see its requirements.
| South AfricaEssentials · source-checked | South Africa trades under SACU-based agreements, the AfCFTA and other preferential arrangements administered by SARS Customs. Importers register with SARS, and restricted goods need permits or regulator authority before release. |
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| EgyptEssentials · source-checked | Customs duties vary by product category, while free zones and the Suez Canal Economic Zone offer duty and VAT relief. Import registration and trade agreements were not confirmed. |
| KenyaEssentials · source-checked | Kenya is part of the East African Community Customs Union and applies its common external tariff to imports from outside the bloc. |
| NigeriaEssentials · source-checked | Nigeria applies the ECOWAS Common External Tariff and duty-free trade within ECOWAS for qualifying goods, with targeted import duty exemptions and free zone relief. |
| AustraliaEssentials · source-checked | Customs is federal and administered by the Australian Border Force under the Customs Act 1901, with GST collected at the border. Australia has a wide network of free trade agreements and strict biosecurity controls. |
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| PolandEssentials · source-checked | Poland is part of the EU customs union and applies the Union Customs Code and EU export control rules. Exports and intra-EU supplies of goods are zero-rated for VAT. |
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| ChinaEssentials · source-checked | Customs is administered by the General Administration of Customs. Import and export duties are governed by the Tariff Law in force since December 2024, and a revised Foreign Trade Law has applied since 1 March 2026. |
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| JapanEssentials · source-checked | Exports of controlled goods and technology may need METI authorisation. The 2026 Tax Reform Act brings low-value imports into consumption tax. |
| South KoreaEssentials · source-checked | Customs duties are levied under the Customs Act, and Korea has free trade agreements with major partners including the US, the EU, China and ASEAN. Exports are zero-rated for VAT. |
| Hong KongEssentials · source-checked | Hong Kong levies duty on four categories of dutiable commodities, which also need licences. Every import and export shipment still needs a trade statement. CEPA gives qualifying Hong Kong-origin goods zero-tariff access to the Mainland. |
| United Arab EmiratesFull guide | The UAE applies the GCC common customs regime. Most imports pay duty of 5% of the CIF value, with 50% on alcohol and 100% on tobacco, and valuation follows the GCC Common Customs Law. |
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| Saudi ArabiaFull guide | Saudi Arabia applies the GCC common external tariff, generally 5% on goods from outside the GCC, and ZATCA runs customs clearance through the FASAH platform. Imports also carry 15% VAT and, for some goods, excise tax. |
| QatarEssentials · source-checked | Importers need a commercial registration and importer registration. GCC free trade agreements extend preferential access for goods from partner countries. |
| BahrainEssentials · source-checked | Bahrain is a WTO member and part of the GCC customs union. It has a bilateral free trade agreement with the United States, in addition to GCC agreements. Importers need a commercial registration covering import activity. |
| OmanEssentials · partly source-checked | Oman is a WTO member and part of the GCC customs union. It has a bilateral free trade agreement with the United States. Customs clearance is handled through a national electronic single window. |
| BrazilEssentials · source-checked | Brazil applies the Mercosur Common External Tariff and requires importers to register with the Receita Federal to use Siscomex. Import duty is charged on the customs value. |
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| ChileEssentials · source-checked | It is a member of the Pacific Alliance and the CPTPP and an associate state of Mercosur. Customs is administered by the Servicio Nacional de Aduanas. |
| ColombiaEssentials · source-checked | Colombia is a member of the Andean Community and the Pacific Alliance, has a trade promotion agreement with the United States in force since 2012 and a trade agreement with the EU provisionally applied since 2013. |
| SwedenEssentials · partly source-checked | As an EU member state, Sweden is part of the EU customs union, applies the Union Customs Code and the Common Customs Tariff, and trades under EU free trade agreements. |
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| NorwayEssentials · partly source-checked | Norway takes part in the EU internal market through the EEA Agreement but is not an EU member. Its customs position, tariffs and export control rules could not yet be confirmed from official sources, so treat trade in goods with the EU and… |
| United StatesFull guide | Customs, tariffs and export controls are entirely federal: CBP runs entry and collection through its ACE system, the USITC maintains the tariff schedule, and the Commerce Department's BIS controls exports. |
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| CanadaEssentials · source-checked | Customs is federal and run by the Canada Border Services Agency, export controls and sanctions by Global Affairs Canada. In 2026 Canada applies counter-tariffs to a list of US products, which affects cost planning for US-sourced goods. |
| MexicoEssentials · source-checked | Mexico's tariff law (LIGIE) was amended as recently as 13 October 2026, and the Customs Law and Foreign Trade Law were both reformed in the past year. |
| IndiaFull guide | Anyone importing into or exporting from India needs an Importer-Exporter Code from the DGFT, which is the business's PAN. Imports carry basic customs duty, generally 7.5% or 10%, plus a social welfare surcharge and IGST, so landed cost… |
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| SingaporeFull guide | Singapore is essentially a free port: customs and excise duties apply only to certain liquors, tobacco, motor vehicles and petroleum products. GST at 9% applies to imports, with relief through licensed warehousing schemes. |
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| MalaysiaEssentials · source-checked | Customs duties are administered by the Royal Malaysian Customs Department under the Customs Act 1967, with tariffs based on the ASEAN harmonised nomenclature. |
| VietnamEssentials · source-checked | Product quality rules were revised from 1 January 2026, introducing risk-based quality management. Customs duties, free trade agreement benefits and import licensing were not confirmed from official sources. |
| IndonesiaEssentials · partly source-checked | Customs is administered by the Directorate General of Customs and Excise. Indonesia is a WTO member and trades under ASEAN agreements, RCEP and several bilateral agreements. |
| ThailandEssentials · source-checked | The Customs Department applies the Customs Act B.E. 2560 (2017). Thailand is a WTO member and trades under ASEAN agreements, RCEP and a range of bilateral FTAs. |
| United KingdomFull guide | The UK has its own customs territory and applies the UK Global Tariff unless a trade agreement preference applies; its agreements include the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, CPTPP and, since 2026, a UK-India agreement. |
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| IrelandEssentials · source-checked | Ireland applies EU customs law and EU trade agreements. Anyone moving goods outside the EU needs an EORI number and customs declarations. |
| GermanyFull guide | Germany is an EU member state and applies EU customs, tariff and product law, supplemented by national rules in the Foreign Trade and Payments Ordinance. |
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| FranceFull guide | France applies EU customs law: goods move between EU states without customs formalities, while imports and exports with non-EU countries need an electronic customs declaration and an EORI number. |
| NetherlandsEssentials · source-checked | As an EU member, the Netherlands applies EU customs duties to non-EU imports and the EU carbon border mechanism, fully operational from 2026. Dutch-specific customs procedures were not confirmed. |
| SwitzerlandEssentials · source-checked | Switzerland is outside the EU customs union and has abolished duties on industrial goods since 2024, though import VAT and other levies still apply. Preferences under free trade agreements depend on rules of origin. |
| ItalyEssentials · source-checked | Italy applies EU customs law under the Union Customs Code. Importers and exporters need an EORI number, and exports of listed dual-use items need an authorisation. |
| SpainEssentials · source-checked | Spain applies EU customs law. Importers need an EORI number, non-EU imports bear duty and import VAT, and listed dual-use exports need authorisation. |
| LuxembourgEssentials · source-checked | Luxembourg applies EU customs law under the Union Customs Code. National customs procedures were not confirmed. |
| TürkiyeEssentials · source-checked | Türkiye has a customs union with the EU and a wide set of trade agreements, including with EFTA, the United Kingdom, Korea, the UAE and Singapore. Customs procedures, tariffs and export controls were not confirmed in this review. |
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| IsraelEssentials · source-checked | Israel is a WTO member with free trade agreements with the European Union, the United States, EFTA and a number of other partners, which lower or remove tariffs on qualifying goods. Customs is administered by the Israel Tax Authority. |
| ArgentinaEssentials · source-checked | Argentina applies the Mercosur Common External Tariff as a founding Mercosur member. National import registration, licensing, export duties and recent tariff changes were not confirmed. |
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| AustriaEssentials · source-checked | As an EU member state, Austria is part of the EU customs union and applies the common external tariff and EU trade agreements. Customs is administered by Customs Austria under the Federal Ministry of Finance. |
| BangladeshEssentials · partly source-checked | Imports are governed by the Customs Act 2023. Importers and exporters need registration certificates, and many products need certification from the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution. |
| BelgiumEssentials · partly source-checked | Belgium is part of the EU customs union and the Benelux Union, and the port of Antwerp-Bruges is a major entry point for EU imports. |
| CameroonEssentials · partly source-checked | Cameroon is part of the CEMAC customs union with a common external tariff, and applies an Economic Partnership Agreement with the EU. Foreign trade formalities are handled through an electronic single window. |
| CyprusEssentials · source-checked | Cyprus is part of the EU customs union and applies the common external tariff and EU trade agreements. Customs is administered by the Customs and Excise Department. |
| Czech RepublicEssentials · source-checked | The Czech Republic is part of the EU customs union and applies the Union Customs Code and EU export control rules. National customs procedures were not reviewed. |
| DenmarkEssentials · source-checked | Denmark is in the EU customs union, so EU tariffs, trade agreements and product rules apply. Customs is handled by the Danish Customs Agency. |
| EcuadorEssentials · partly source-checked | Customs is run by SENAE under COPCI, using the ECUAPASS electronic system. Ecuador is a member of the Andean Community and a party to the trade agreement with the European Union, and it has a trade agreement with China. |
| FinlandEssentials · source-checked | Finland is in the EU customs union, so EU tariffs, trade agreements and product rules apply. |
| GreeceEssentials · source-checked | Greece is part of the EU customs union and applies the common external tariff and EU trade agreements. Customs is administered by the AADE. Dual-use exports are controlled under EU rules. |
| HungaryEssentials · source-checked | Hungary is part of the EU customs union and applies the common external tariff and EU trade agreements. Customs is administered by NAV, which also runs the EKAER system. |
| MoroccoEssentials · source-checked | Morocco has a wide network of trade agreements, including an association agreement with the EU, a free trade agreement with the United States in force since 2006, the Agadir Agreement and agreements with the UK and Türkiye. |
| New ZealandEssentials · source-checked | New Zealand Customs Service administers imports and exports under the Customs and Excise Act 2018. Biosecurity controls run by the Ministry for Primary Industries are strict. |
| PanamaEssentials · source-checked | Panama's trade role is built on the Panama Canal, the Colón Free Zone and its logistics sector. Its trade promotion agreement with the United States has been in force since 31 October 2012, and the trade pillar of the EU-Central America… |
| PhilippinesEssentials · source-checked | Customs is administered by the Bureau of Customs, and duties depend on classification under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act. The Philippines is a WTO member and trades under ASEAN agreements, RCEP and bilateral agreements. |
| PortugalEssentials · source-checked | Portugal applies EU customs law. Importers need an EORI number, and exports of listed dual-use items need authorisation. |
| RwandaEssentials · source-checked | Rwanda is part of the East African Community, applies the EAC Common External Tariff and belongs to COMESA, and it hosted the signing of the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement. |
| UgandaEssentials · source-checked | Uganda is part of the East African Community Customs Union and applies its common external tariff, and is also a member of COMESA and the African Continental Free Trade Area. |
| ZambiaEssentials · partly source-checked | Zambia trades within the COMESA and SADC free trade areas and is a party to the African Continental Free Trade Area. |
Our full guides are checked against official sources. Guides drafted with AI are marked as such. None of this is legal or tax advice.
WONE Global Intelligence
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WONE Global Partners
Named professionals connected to this page — each admitted as the specialist for one kind of work in their country, at a firm WONE Global has admitted.
Kraków · PolandWONE Global Capability Partner · Poland
Complete profile
Attorney at Law. Co-founder of the law firm. Provides litigation services to banks and advises corporate clients in international trade. Supervises the work of the Litigation Department and the International Desk. Chair…
Panamá · PanamaWONE Global Capability Partner · Panama
Ebrahim Asvat K. is a founding partner of Patton, Moreno & Asvat. His practice focuses on corporate law, asset and tax planning, mergers and acquisitions, and offshore business structures. He holds an LL.M. from Harvard…
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