Importing

Useful links

Doing business in... 

The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides a comprehensive collection of pages on doing business in over 150 countries. See also the library pages on Exporting.

Other links

Import, export and customs for business
GOV.UK information covering export and import basics and practicalities, licences, regulations, payments and reliefs. Including:

• Import goods into the UK: step by step
• Check how to import or export goods
• Get UK customs clearance when importing goods to the UK: Step by step
• Forms for import and export
• Trade Tariff: look up commodity codes, duty and VAT rates

Access2Markets
The Market Access Database is an interactive, free online service from the European Commission with information for more than 100 countries on:

• import tariffs and internal taxes
• import formalities (e.g. customs procedures and requirements) with sample forms
• trade barriers

Food standard Agency
The FSA has guidance on importing many different kinds of food products, for example Importing nuts or Importing products of animal origin

Institute of Export & International Trade
Membership body established in 1935 to support the interests of everyone involved in importing, exporting and international trade.

UK Trade Info
A website managed by the HMRC Trade Statistics Unit, offering comprehensive data on UK imports and exports, EU trade statistics, code and guides, bulletins and factsheets. A selection of useful tables and tools are available through the website, including an interactive database of overseas trade statistics. This enables users to build their own tables of import/export data by industry and country/region.

World Trade Organisation
The website offers a large trade topics gateway as well as statistics and information on tariffs.

Atom Content Marketing guides

• Developing an import strategy
  Handled well, importing can make a significant contribution to success in business. For some, using overseas suppliers is a key part of controlling costs. Others have built their whole business on the unique products importing allows them to provide.
• Import finance
  Many businesses find importing requires greater financial flexibility and reserves than buying from a UK supplier. Rather than buying on credit, you must often commit finance well before delivery.
• Understand legal issues for importers
  Importing doesn't have to be difficult and buying from a company based within the European Union (EU) is usually relatively straightforward. After all, you are the customer: most of the burden of making sales, and delivering the goods, usually falls on the supplier.
• Understand VAT and duty on imports and exports
  Whether you are importing or exporting, there are important VAT and duty rules and procedures. These depend on whether you are dealing with a customer or supplier in another European Union (EU) country, or with the rest of the world.

Articles and books in the Library collection

• View a list of books in our collection on importing
• View a list of articles in our collection on importing

To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to book loans.

You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports through our document supply service.