International Market Accessibility (IMA) Guide

WARNING: This Guide deals with barriers to entry in foreign markets; inevitably, it also deals with issues of an administrative nature, such as documents and certification. However, administrative operation is not the goal of this guide; administrative issues might be highly incomplete. The aim of this Guide is to point out some tools that allow users to have a first evaluation on the accessibility of the different markets, without pretending to replace the highly specialized activities that administrative practices require.

Accessibility of a market

From the regulatory point of view, a market is more or less accessible in relation to the following factors:

  1. any difficulties in correctly assigning a Customs Code to the exported product.

  2. ​any Tariffs applied on imports;

  3. any measures introduced by the authorities of the destination country in terms of Documentation and procedures, which might involve significant costs;

  4. in some cases these measures distort competition because they are not justified by general policy objectives, but aimed at penalizing imports. These measures are usually grouped under the term of Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs);


1. Customs Code

To complete an export practice, the knowledge of two customs codes is required:

  1. COD-ORI: necessary for the documentation required by the country of origin;

  2. COD-EST: necessary for the documentation required by the destination country.

All world-wide countries use the Harmonized System classification as the first 6 digits of their Customs classification. Once COD-ORI is identified, COD-EST can be searched starting from the first 6 digits of COD-ORI. WARNING: only the first 6 digits are the same, and in some particular cases, not even those. Therefore, it is advisable to always check the correctness of COD-EST, by consulting a shipper in the destination country.
For EU exporters
For countries belonging to the European Union, COD-ORI can be searched by accessing the website of the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency:
https://aidaonline7.agenziadoganemonopoli.gov.it/nsitaricinternet/TaricServlet .
From this link you can download a short help guide for using this site.
For US exporters
For American exporters, COD-ORI can be searched by accessing the free online tool sponsored by US Census Bureau:
Schedule B Search Engine. You can find a short help in this video tutorial by Export.gov ("Step 1: Determine your HS or Schedule B Number").



2. Tariffs on imports

For EU exporters
The tariff applied by the country of destination to the good that an EU company wants to export can be obtained from the "Market Access Database" of the European Commission, accessible at the following link:
Tariffs and Rules of Origin
Besides the destination market, the product code must be selected by entering the first 4 or 6 digits of the customs code.
In this document ("Examples of Tariff Research") there are some examples that can help in the use of the tool.
For US exporters
The tariff applied by the country of destination to the good that an US company wants to export can be obtained from the "Customs Info database", freely accessible (registration required) at the following link:
CUSTOMS Info
You can find a short help in this video tutorial by Export.gov ("Step 2: Determine Tariff Rates").



3. Documents and procedures

For EU exporters
Destination countries require submission of import documents and the completion of procedures aimed at achieving general objectives, such as the protection of human health and safety or the protection of the environment.
For an analysis of the documents to be presented and the procedures to be carried out to export a product to a country, for an EU operator it is useful to consult the following page of the European Commission's Market Access Database:
Procedures and Formalities.
The destination market and product code must be selected by entering the first 4 or 6 digits of the customs code. In this document ("Examples of Documents and Procedures Research") there are some examples that can help in the use of the tool.
Sometimes the documents and procedures imposed by the country of destination are intended to penalize imports. In this case the relative measures are considered as Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs).
For US exporters
For an analysis of the documents to be presented and the procedures to be carried out to export a product to a country, for an US operator it is useful to consult the following page of the Export.gov website:
Common Export Documents.
New exporters can find an in-depth presentation of export documentation in this webinar by Export.gov ("Export Documentation New to Export").



4. Non-Tariff Barriers

Measures introduced by a destination country for penalizing imports are considered as Non-Tariff Barriers. The World Trade Organization (WTO) has, among its goals, the objective to reduce these barriers, but the achievement of this goal does not seem close.
Some products require more attention due to their technical characteristics; among these products, the so-called “DUAL USE” products, which have a dual use, i.e. for both civil and military purposes, are of certain importance. See the Introduction Guide to Dual Use.
The knowledge of the existence of these barriers is essential for assessing the degree of accessibility of a market. In this short guide, we will indicate some tools that can be used to learn the main Non-Tariff Barriers, with the aim of allowing an initial assessment of their relevance. In the following section Non-Tariff Barriers are grouped by type:



  • Sanitary and phytosanitary measures

These measures are aimed at protecting health, from animals and plants, from risks deriving from imported goods.

Tools for their analysis:


  1. For EU exporters
    The relevant section of the EU MADB:
    SPS: Sanitary and Phytosanitary Issues .
    For US exporters
    Please refer again to the Export.gov website:
    Common Export Documents.


  2. For ALL exporters
    The SPS [Sanitary and Phytosanitary] entry of the World Trade Organization's Integrated Trade Intelligence portal:
    http://i-tip.wto.org/goods/Forms/ProductViewNew.aspx?mode=modify&action=search.


  • Technical barriers

The regulations and technical standards are necessary for the protection of the environment, for human health and safety, for the correct information of consumers. If the technological standards are defined arbitrarily, they can turn into penalties for imports.

Two tools can be used for their analysis:


  1. For EU exporters
    The relevant section of the EU MADB:
    Trade Barriers.
    For US exporters
    Please refer to the following Export.gov website:
    GET HELP WITH TRADE PROBLEMS.


  2. For ALL exporters
    The TBT [Technical Barriers to Trade] entry of the World Trade Organization's Integrated Trade Intelligence portal:
    http://i-tip.wto.org/goods/Forms/ProductViewNew.aspx?mode=modify&action=search.



  • Safeguard actions

A WTO country may initiate a Safeguard Action to temporarily restrict imports of a product when domestic production may be damaged by an unexpected and very strong increase in imports. An analysis of the existing Safeguard Action can be done by accessing the SG and SSG items of the World Trade Organization Integrated Trade Intelligence portal:
http://i-tip.wto.org/goods/Forms/ProductViewNew.aspx?mode=modify&action=search



  • Anti Dumping Measures

If a company exports a product to a destination country by selling it to a price lower than the selling price on the domestic market, then the export is said to be "dumping". The country of destination can react to this price policy by applying limits or sanctions to the company that exports under "dumping". For an analysis of the anti-dumping actions in force in the different world-wide countries, the ADP [Anti dumping] entry of the World Trade Organization's Integrated Trade Intelligence portal can be accessed:
http://i-tip.wto.org/goods/Forms/ProductViewNew.aspx?mode=modify&action=search