Check for barriers to trading and investing abroad

Use this service if you’re a UK-based business planning to:

• export goods
• provide services in another country
• invest money in another country

The service will give you information about things that could slow down, stop or raise costs for UK companies and citizens doing business in a specific country (a ‘trade barrier’).

This could include:

• local government preference for domestic or non-UK suppliers when buying government services
• over-complicated customs procedures
• excessive labelling or packaging requirements
• practices, subsidies, incentives, tariffs or taxes that put UK-based businesses at a disadvantage compared to domestic suppliers or those from other countries
• potential risks to your intellectual property

The service also lists any previously reported trade barriers that have been removed.

If you export goods you can check duties and customs procedures for your destination countries.