Market access barrier statistics: financial year 2023 to 2024
Published 13 June 2024
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1․ Purpose
This annual release covers statistics on the number of market access barriers reported and resolved by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and other government departments (OGD) in the financial year ending (FYE) 2024. These barriers are recorded on DBT’s internal database called Digital Market Access Service (DMAS).
This publication includes:
- headline statistics on the number of market access barriers (MABs) reported in the previous financial year
- headline statistics on the number of MABs resolved in the previous financial year
- a breakdown of the above statistics by HMTC regions and sectors
- total numbers of trading partners where barriers were resolved
- comparison of the above statistics with previous financial years
- previous financial year’s revised data to ensure that data is easily accessible to allow for comparison across time
These annual statistics were designated as official statistics to improve process, accuracy, and consistency of the data. This is because they are DBT’s Outcome Delivery Plan metrics and are regularly published in the DBT annual report and accounts (currently for Department for International Trade) as indicators on departmental performance.
Publication of market access barrier statistics provides signal to both consumers and business abroad that there is greater commitment from the government to resolve market access barriers and unlock trade opportunities abroad. They do not provide an indication of the value represented by barriers that have been resolved, or that are currently the subject of DBT’s market access activity. The aggregated valuation for a sample of resolved barriers are routinely included in the DBT annual report and accounts.
DBT also releases information on trade barriers through the Check International Trade Barriers Service (CITS). This provides information on a selection of barriers reported and barriers resolved by sector and location. The purpose is to raise awareness for UK businesses on a selection of the barriers DBT has worked to resolve or is working to resolve. CITS publishes details for a selection of barriers. This is because certain barriers can be deemed unsuitable for publication for a variety of reasons, including potential commercial or trade negotiation sensitivities. However, this statistical release provides headline figures on all the reported and resolved barriers for a reporting period.
2․ Reported market access barriers headline statistics
2.1 Reported market access barriers in the financial year ending (FYE) 2024
297 reported barriers on DMAS
In the FYE 2024, 297 market access barriers were reported, which is 30 less than the previous FYE 2023 when 327 barriers were reported.
Figure 1: Number of reported market access barriers for FYE 2020, FYE 2021, FYE 2022, FYE 2023 and FYE 2024
| Financial year | Number of reported barriers |
|---|---|
| FYE 2020 | 818 |
| FYE 2021 | 477 |
| FYE 2022 | 510 |
| FYE 2023 | 327 |
| FYE 2024 | 297 |
Source: DBT internal Digital Market Access Service (DMAS).
Download more detailed data on number of reported market access barriers for FYE 2020, FYE 2021, FYE 2022, FYE 2023 and FYE 2024 in open document spreadsheet (ods) format.
The reduction in number of barriers reported in the FYE 2024 could be due to several reasons. Levels of barrier reporting are affected by operational factors such as focus on identifying barriers or resolving identified barriers which can vary over time and region.
Furthermore, when DMAS was set up in 2019, DBT officials would have reported as many barriers as possible (both long standing and relatively newer ones) with DMAS going live. As the pool of outstanding, unresolved barriers declines over time, it could be the case that the number of barriers reported in a financial year start to fall. This could possibly explain the reason for a decrease in reported barriers.
2.2 Reported market access barriers by HMTC region in the financial year ending (FYE) 2024
81 highest reported on DMAS in Europe
13 lowest reported on DMAS in South Asia
The number of barriers reported within a geographic area or for a particular sector can provide an indication of market access activity. However, this should not be understood as a complete indicator of the market access conditions within HMTC region, or how they have changed. Instead, it represents the market access barriers that have been reported to DBT.
Table 1 shows that in the FYE 2024, the highest number of barriers were reported in Europe (81) and the lowest number of barriers were reported in South Asia (13).
The number of barriers reported in most regions show volatility between time periods. This is likely to reflect varying level of operational activity by DBT within the region with a focus on developing a more in depth understanding of the market access issues, to address the barriers that have been identified by DBT. This has less to do with changes in market access conditions.
Table 1: Number of reported market access barriers by HMTC regions for FYE 2020, FYE 2021, FYE 2022, FYE 2023 and FYE 2024
| HMTC Region | FYE 2020 | FYE 2021 | FYE 2022 | FYE 2023 | FYE 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | 64 | 49 | 145 | 51 | 34 |
| Asia Pacific | 160 | 72 | 67 | 46 | 51 |
| China and Hong Kong | 82 | 28 | 40 | 18 | 15 |
| Eastern Europe and Central Asia | 84 | 62 | 55 | 29 | 33 |
| Europe | 87 | 93 | 100 | 97 | 81 |
| Latin America | 114 | 60 | 71 | 39 | 36 |
| Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan | 73 | 56 | 18 | 22 | 18 |
| North America | 112 | 44 | 6 | 5 | 16 |
| South Asia | 42 | 13 | 8 | 20 | 13 |
| Total | 818 | 477 | 510 | 327 | 297 |
Source: DBT internal Digital Market Access Service (DMAS).
Download more detailed data on number of reported market access barriers by HMTC regions for FYE 2020, FYE 2021, FYE 2022, FYE 2023 and FYE 2024 in open document spreadsheet (ods) format.
Table 2 below presents the percent share of HMTC regions in total barriers reported between FYE 2020 to FYE 2024. Europe had the highest proportion of total barriers reported (27.3%) and South Asia had the lowest proportion (4.4%) of total barriers reported in the FYE 2024.
Table 2: Reported market access barriers by HMTC regions as a percentage share of total for FYE 2020, FYE 2021, FYE 2022, FYE 2023 and FYE 2024
| HMTC Region | % of total FYE 2020 | % of total FYE 2021 | % of total FYE 2022 | % of total FYE 2023 | % of total FYE 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | 7.8% | 10.3% | 28.4% | 15.6% | 11.4% |
| Asia Pacific | 19.6% | 15.1% | 13.1% | 14.1% | 17.2% |
| China and Hong Kong | 10.0% | 5.9% | 7.8% | 5.5% | 5.1% |
| Eastern Europe and Central Asia | 10.3% | 13.0% | 10.8% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| Europe | 10.6% | 19.5% | 19.6% | 29.7% | 27.3% |
| Latin America | 13.9% | 12.6% | 13.9% | 11.9% | 12.1% |
| Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan | 8.9% | 11.7% | 3.5% | 6.7% | 6.1% |
| North America | 13.7% | 9.2% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 5.4% |
| South Asia | 5.1% | 2.7% | 1.6% | 6.1% | 4.4% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Source: DBT internal Digital Market Access Service (DMAS).
Download more detailed data on proportion of reported market access barriers by HMTC regions for FYE 2020, FYE 2021, FYE 2022, FYE 2023 and FYE 2024 in open document spreadsheet (ods) format.
2.3 Reported market access barriers by sector (% share in financial year ending (FYE) 2024), as recorded on DMAS
16.8% highest percentage of total in the food and drink sector
Figure 2 shows proportion of market access barriers reported by sectors in the FYE 2024. Food and drink sector had the highest (16.8%) proportion of reported market access barriers followed by the financial and professional services (11.8%) sector. The energy sector and the agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and pets sector, each had a 9.9% share of market access barriers reported in the FYE 2024. It’s important to note that the number of barriers reported per sector is not a definitive indication of the market access conditions experienced by businesses exporting in those sectors.
Figure 2: Proportion of reported market access barriers by sectors in FYE 2024
| Sectors affected | % of total sectors FYE 2024 |
|---|---|
| Food and drink | 16.8% |
| Financial and professional services | 11.8% |
| Agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and pets | 9.9% |
| Energy | 9.9% |
| Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology | 6.7% |
| Consumer and retail | 5.5% |
| Healthcare services | 5.3% |
| Construction | 4.1% |
| Advanced engineering | 3.8% |
| Education and training | 3.6% |
| Automotive | 2.9% |
| Mining | 1.9% |
| Technology and smart cities | 1.9% |
| Airports | 1.7% |
| Creative industries | 1.7% |
| Railways | 1.7% |
| Environment | 1.4% |
| Water | 1.4% |
| Space | 0.0% |
Source: DBT internal Digital Market Access Service (DMAS).
Download more detailed data on proportion and number of reported market access barriers by sector for FYE 2020, FYE 2021, FYE 2022, FYE 2023 and FYE 2024 in open document spreadsheet (ods) format.
Note: a particular market access barrier may affect several sectors. Hence the total number of barriers in the above figure will not match with the total number of reported barriers in Section 2.1.
In Figure 2, the data for certain sectors have been suppressed to reduce risks of identifying individual businesses, and the letter ‘c’ is used to denote this.
The data for aerospace, chemicals, cross sector, defence, logistics, maritime, medical devices and equipment, security, and sports economy have been suppressed.
2.4 Number of trading partners where market access barriers were reported on DMAS in financial year ending (FYE) 2024
Figure 3 shows a count of the number of trading partners where barriers were reported on DMAS between FYE 2020 to FYE 2024. In the FYE 2024, there were 278 barriers reported on DMAS.
Figure 3: Number of reported market access barriers by trading partners for FYE 2020, FYE 2021, FYE 2022, FYE 2023 and FYE 2024
| Financial year | Number of trading partners reporting a barrier | Number of barriers reported from trading partners |
|---|---|---|
| FYE 2020 | 104 | 807 |
| FYE 2021 | 88 | 450 |
| FYE 2022 | 93 | 491 |
| FYE 2023 | 98 | 318 |
| FYE 2024 | 82 | 278 |
Source: DBT internal Digital Market Access Service (DMAS).
Download more detailed data on number of reported market access barriers by trading partners for FYE 2020, FYE 2021, FYE 2022, FYE 2023 and FYE 2024 in open document spreadsheet (ods) format.
Note: the above figure does not include barriers reported by trading blocs.
3. Resolved market access barriers headline statistics
3.1 Resolved market access barriers in financial year ending (FYE) 2024, as recorded on DMAS
135 resolved in full
22 resolved in part
When the underlying issues related to a market access barrier have been addressed and are no longer acting as an impediment to trade, DBT staff update the DMAS entry with status as ‘resolved’. Barriers on DMAS can be marked as ‘resolved in full’ when the issue has been fully addressed or ‘resolved in part’ when only a part of the issues related to a barrier is resolved.
The statistics on resolved barriers in Figure 4 show that:
A total of 157 market access barriers were resolved (including in part and in full), which is 9 less than the previous FYE 2023. Of this:
- 135 market access barriers were resolved in full in FYE 2024, which is 7 less than the previous FYE 2023
- 22 market access barriers were resolved in part in FYE 2024, which is 2 less than the previous FYE 2023
Note: only unique barriers are accounted for in this release, without any risk of double counting.
Figure 4: Number of resolved market access barriers, in part and in full for FYE 2020, FYE 2021, FYE 2022, FYE 2023 and FYE 2024
| Financial year | Resolved in part | Resolved in full | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| FYE 2020 | 20 | 113 | 133 |
| FYE 2021 | 24 | 113 | 137 |
| FYE 2022 | 25 | 155 | 180 |
| FYE 2023 | 24 | 142 | 166 |
| FYE 2024 | 22 | 135 | 157 |
Source: DBT internal Digital Market Access Service (DMAS).
Download more detailed data on number of resolved market access barriers, in part and in full, for FYE 2020, FYE 2021, FYE 2022, FYE 2023 and FYE 2024 in open document spreadsheet (ods) format.
Note: statistics on resolved barriers will be affected by factors such as:
- scope of resolution (whether it is fully or partially resolved)
- profile of barriers resolved (the time and action required to resolve any individual barrier can vary considerably)
- operational factors and reporting behaviour (for instance, data lags between a barrier being resolved and its DMAS status being updated to reflect this)
3. 2 Resolved market access barriers by HMTC region in financial year ending (FYE) 2024, as recorded on DMAS
33 highest resolved in Europe
2 lowest resolved in China and Hong Kong
The number of barriers resolved within a geographic area or for a particular sector can provide an indication of market access activity. It is not however, the sole means to determine the effectiveness or impact of market access barrier resolution activity. Headline figures on resolved barriers do not give any indication of the level of activity required to achieve a resolution, nor the scale of opportunities posed by the barriers resolved.
Table 3 below shows that in the FYE 2024, Europe (33) had the highest number of barriers resolved followed by Latin America (30) and Africa (28). China and Hong Kong (2) had the lowest number of resolved barriers on DMAS.
Table 3: Number of resolved market access barriers, in part and in full by HMTC regions in FYE 2023 and FYE 2024
| HMTC region | Resolved in part FYE 2023 | Resolved in full FYE 2023 | Total for FYE 2023 | Resolved in part FYE 2024 | Resolved in full FYE 2024 | Total for FYE 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Africa | 6 | 17 | 23 | 5 | 23 | 28 |
| Asia Pacific | 2 | 17 | 19 | 1 | 23 | 24 |
| China and Hong Kong | 1 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Eastern Europe and Central Asia | 3 | 18 | 21 | 5 | 11 | 16 |
| Europe | 6 | 39 | 45 | 3 | 30 | 33 |
| Latin America | 2 | 25 | 27 | 2 | 28 | 30 |
| Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan | 3 | 13 | 16 | 4 | 12 | 16 |
| North America | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| South Asia | 1 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
| Total | 24 | 142 | 166 | 22 | 135 | 157 |
Source: DBT internal Digital Market Access Service (DMAS).
Download more detailed data on number of reported market access barriers by HMTC region for FYE 2020, FYE 2021, FYE 2022, FYE 2023 and FYE 2024 in open document spreadsheet (ods) format.
Table 4: Resolved market access barriers (including in part and in full) by HMTC regions as a percentage share of total in FYE 2023 and FYE 2024
| HMTC region | % of total FYE 2023 | % of total FYE 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | 13.9% | 17.8% |
| Asia Pacific | 11.4% | 15.3% |
| China and Hong Kong | 4.2% | 1.3% |
| Eastern Europe and Central Asia | 12.7% | 10.2% |
| Europe | 27.1% | 21.0% |
| Latin America | 16.3% | 19.1% |
| Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan | 9.6% | 10.2% |
| North America | 1.2% | 1.9% |
| South Asia | 3.6% | 3.2% |
| Total | 100.0% | 100.0% |
Source: DBT internal Digital Market Access Service (DMAS).
Download more detailed data on resolved market access barriers (including in part and in full) by HMTC region as a percentage share of total for FYE 2020, FYE 2021, FYE 2022, FYE 2023 and FYE 2024 in open document spreadsheet (ods) format.
3.3 Resolved market access barriers by sector (% share in financial year ending (FYE) 2024), as recorded on DMAS
17.2% highest percentage of total each in the agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and pets, and the food and drink sectors
Figure 5 shows proportion of market access barriers resolved by sectors for FYE 2024.
In the FYE 2024, the agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and pets sector, and the food and drink sector each had the highest share (17.2%) of market access barriers resolved (including both in full and in part) followed by the financial and professional services sector (11.3%), and the pharmaceuticals and biotechnology sector (7.7%). However, this measure does not indicate sectoral prioritisation. The sectors in which barriers were resolved is affected by the number of barriers identified and reported on DMAS. This metric provides no additional insight into the complexity of barriers affecting different sectors, nor the level of activity involved in the resolution of barriers in each sector.
Figure 5: Proportion of resolved market access barriers (including in part and in full), by sector in FYE 2024
| Sectors affected | % of total sectors FYE 2024 |
|---|---|
| Agriculture, horticulture, fisheries and pets | 17.2% |
| Food and drink | 17.2% |
| Financial and professional services | 11.3% |
| Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology | 7.7% |
| Energy | 6.3% |
| Cross sector | 5.9% |
| Consumer and retail | 4.1% |
| Technology and smart cities | 4.1% |
| Advanced engineering | 3.6% |
| Automotive | 3.6% |
| Healthcare services | 3.6% |
| Education and training | 2.7% |
| Space | 0.0% |
Source: DBT internal Digital Market Access Service (DMAS).
Download more detailed data on proportion and number of resolved (including in part and in full) market access barriers by sector for FYE 2020, FYE 2021, FYE 2022, FYE 2023 and FYE 2024 in open document spreadsheet (ods) format.
Note: a particular market access barrier may affect several sectors. Hence the total number of barriers in the above figure will not match with the total number of resolved barriers in Section 3.1.
In Figure 5, the data for certain sectors have been suppressed to reduce risks of identifying individual businesses, and the letter ‘c’ is used to denote this.
The data for aerospace, airports, chemicals, construction, creative industries, defence, environment, logistics, maritime, medical devices and equipment, mining, railways, security, sports economy, and water sectors have been suppressed.
3.4 Number of trading partners where market access barriers were resolved in financial year ending (FYE) 2024 (as recorded on DMAS)
The number of trading partners in which a barrier was resolved can provide some illustration on the breadth of market access activity being undertaken, although this provides no indication of the depth of the market access activity in the domain of the trading partner.
Figure 6 shows a count of the number of trading partners for which a barrier was marked as resolved on DMAS from FYE 2020 to FYE 2024. In the FYE 2024, 153 barriers were resolved across 65 trading partners.
Figure 6: Number of trading partners where barriers were resolved in part and in full, for FYE 2020, FYE 2021, FYE 2022, FYE 2023, and FYE 2024
| Number of trading partners | Resolved in part | Resolved in full | Total number of trading partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| FYE 2020 | 18 | 44 | 49 |
| FYE 2021 | 17 | 48 | 54 |
| FYE 2022 | 19 | 70 | 75 |
| FYE 2023 | 19 | 70 | 76 |
| FYE 2024 | 17 | 62 | 65 |
Source: DBT internal Digital Market Access Service (DMAS).
Download more detailed data on number of trading partners where barriers were resolved in part and in full, for FYE 2020, FYE 2021, FYE 2022, FYE 2023 and FYE 2024 in open document spreadsheet (ods) format.
Note:
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a country could be part of both resolved in full and resolved in part, resulting in total not matching
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the above table does not include barriers reported by trading blocs