Collection

Overseas Business Risk

Information for UK businesses on how to identify and mitigate security and political risks when trading overseas.

Contents

The Overseas Business Risk service provides geopolitical and economic analysis on overseas markets to new and expanding exporters. The guides also provide information on potential risks including human rights issues, bribery and corruption, terrorism, criminal activity and intellectual property.

Assistance for exporters

• Department for International Trade (DIT) export services to access expert trade staff who can provide practical advice
• DIT export opportunities for details of overseas contracts, tenders and projects
• UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK’s official export credit agency for finance and insurance assistance
• List of countries with trade sanctions or embargoes
• List of UK tax treaties with countries to protect against double taxation

Further reading

• bribery and corruption - UK anti-bribery policy
• crime and fraud prevention for businesses in international trade.
• cyber security guidance for business
• FCO economic factsheets for over 180 countries
• guidance for businesses operating in high risk environments
• human rights
• protecting intellectual property abroad
• protective security - visit NaCTSO and CPNI

Contact us

Let us know if you have any comments on our country guides.

Africa

1. Overseas Business Risk - Algeria

   • 13 July 2015
   • Guidance

2. Overseas Business Risk - Angola

   • 6 August 2015
   • Guidance

3. Overseas Business Risk - Cameroon

   • 25 August 2015
   • Guidance

4. Overseas Business Risk - Cote D'Ivoire

   • 9 June 2016
   • Guidance

5. Overseas Business Risk - Ethiopia

   • 9 November 2015
   • Guidance

6. Overseas Business Risk – Ghana

   • 5 August 2015
   • Guidance

7. Overseas Business Risk - Kenya

   • 9 July 2015
   • Guidance

8. Overseas Business Risk - Mauritius

   • 3 June 2016
   • Guidance

9. Overseas Business Risk - Morocco

   • 4 November 2015
   • Guidance

10. Overseas Business Risk - Mozambique

    • 21 July 2015
    • Guidance

11. Overseas Business Risk - Namibia

    • 24 August 2015
    • Guidance

12. Overseas Business Risk - Nigeria

    • 29 January 2016
    • Guidance

13. Overseas Business Risk - Rwanda

    • 25 January 2016
    • Guidance

14. Overseas Business Risk - Senegal

    • 12 May 2016
    • Guidance

15. Overseas Business Risk – Sierra Leone

    • 20 July 2015
    • Guidance

16. Overseas Business Risk - South Africa

    • 29 September 2015
    • Guidance

17. Overseas Business Risk - Uganda

    • 16 July 2015
    • Guidance

18. Overseas Business Risk – Zambia

    • 2 March 2016
    • Guidance

Americas

1. Overseas Business Risk - Argentina

   • 30 September 2015
   • Research and analysis

2. Overseas Business Risk - Barbados

   • 9 July 2015
   • Guidance

3. Overseas Business Risk - Brazil

   • 17 July 2015
   • Guidance

4. Overseas Business Risk - Canada

   • 11 January 2016
   • Guidance

5. Overseas Business Risk - Cayman Islands

   • 20 October 2015
   • Guidance

6. Overseas Business Risk - Chile

   • 7 July 2015
   • Guidance

7. Overseas Business Risk - Colombia

   • 22 July 2015
   • Guidance

8. Overseas Business Risk - Costa Rica

   • 26 October 2015
   • Guidance

9. Overseas Business Risk - Cuba

   • 29 October 2015
   • Guidance

10. Overseas Business Risk – Dominican Republic

    • 6 June 2016
    • Guidance

11. Overseas Business Risk - Ecuador

    • 17 July 2015
    • Guidance

12. Overseas Business Risk - Guyana

    • 27 October 2015
    • Guidance

13. Overseas Business Risk - Jamaica

    • 16 December 2013
    • Guidance

14. Overseas Business Risk - Mexico

    • 20 July 2015
    • Guidance

15. Overseas Business Risk - Nicaragua

    • 26 October 2015
    • Guidance

16. Overseas Business Risk - Panama

    • 9 July 2015
    • Guidance

17. Overseas Business Risk - Paraguay

    • 2 November 2015
    • Guidance

18. Overseas Business Risk - Peru

    • 6 August 2015
    • Guidance

19. Overseas Business Risk - Suriname

    • 27 October 2015
    • Guidance

20. Overseas Business Risk – Trinidad & Tobago

    • 29 June 2015
    • Guidance

21. Overseas Business Risk - Venezuela

    • 9 July 2015
    • Guidance

Asia

1. Overseas Business Risk - Afghanistan

   • 23 November 2015
   • Guidance

2. Overseas Business Risk - Bangladesh

   • 13 July 2016
   • Guidance

3. Overseas Business Risk Burma

   • 18 December 2015
   • Guidance

4. Overseas Business Risk - Cambodia

   • 23 November 2015
   • Guidance

5. Overseas Business Risk - China

   • 18 May 2016
   • Guidance

6. Overseas Business Risk - Hong Kong

   • 23 May 2016
   • Guidance

7. Overseas Business Risk - India

   • 23 April 2015
   • Guidance

8. Overseas Business Risk - Indonesia

   • 11 April 2016
   • Guidance

9. Overseas Business Risk - Japan

   • 22 March 2016
   • Guidance

10. Overseas Business Risk - Kazakhstan

    • 13 July 2016
    • Guidance

11. Overseas Business Risk - Malaysia

    • 20 October 2015
    • Guidance

12. Overseas Business Risk - Nepal

    • 31 July 2015
    • Guidance

13. Overseas Business Risk - Pakistan

    • 16 July 2015
    • Guidance

14. Overseas Business Risk - Philippines

    • 15 July 2015
    • Guidance

15. Overseas Business Risk - Singapore

    • 18 April 2016
    • Guidance

16. Overseas Business Risk – South Korea

    • 20 October 2015
    • Guidance

17. Overseas Business Risk – Sri Lanka

    • 16 July 2015
    • Guidance

18. Overseas Business Risk - Taiwan

    • 27 May 2016
    • Guidance

19. Overseas Business Risk - Thailand

    • 7 September 2015
    • Guidance

20. Overseas Business Risk - Turkmenistan

    • 2 November 2015
    • Guidance

21. Overseas Business Risk - Vietnam

    • 20 October 2015
    • Guidance

Europe

1. Overseas Business Risk - Austria

   • 14 July 2015
   • Guidance

2. Overseas Business Risk - Belgium

   • 30 July 2015
   • Guidance

3. Overseas Business Risk - Bosnia and Herzegovina

   • 18 May 2016
   • Guidance

4. Overseas Business Risk - Bulgaria

   • 10 May 2016
   • Guidance

5. Overseas Business Risk - Croatia

   • 29 July 2015
   • Guidance

6. Overseas Business Risk - Cyprus

   • 4 February 2016
   • Guidance

7. Overseas Business Risk - Czech Republic

   • 1 December 2015
   • Guidance

8. Overseas Business Risk - Denmark

   • 16 July 2015
   • Guidance

9. Overseas Business Risk - Estonia

   • 15 July 2015
   • Guidance

10. Overseas Business Risk - Finland

    • 7 August 2015
    • Guidance

11. Overseas Business Risk - France

    • 9 March 2016
    • Guidance

12. Overseas Business Risk - Germany

    • 18 March 2015
    • Guidance

13. Overseas Business Risk - Greece

    • 16 July 2015
    • Guidance

14. Overseas Business Risk - Hungary

    • 10 July 2015
    • Guidance

15. Overseas Business Risk - Ireland

    • 15 January 2016
    • Guidance

16. Overseas Business Risk - Italy

    • 14 March 2016
    • Guidance

17. Overseas Business Risk - Latvia

    • 9 July 2015
    • Guidance

18. Overseas Business Risk - Lithuania

    • 7 July 2015
    • Guidance

19. Overseas Business Risk - Luxembourg

    • 29 February 2016
    • Guidance

20. Overseas Business Risk - Macedonia

    • 8 July 2015
    • Guidance

21. Overseas Business Risk - Norway

    • 4 March 2016
    • Guidance

22. Overseas Business Risk - Poland

    • 5 August 2015
    • Guidance

23. Overseas Business Risk - Portugal

    • 18 August 2015
    • Guidance

24. Overseas Business Risk - Romania

    • 29 February 2016
    • Guidance

25. Overseas Business Risk - Russia

    • 29 July 2015
    • Guidance

26. Overseas Business Risk - Serbia

    • 21 October 2015
    • Guidance

27. Overseas Business Risk - Slovakia

    • 15 July 2016
    • Guidance

28. Overseas Business Risk - Slovenia

    • 20 July 2015
    • Guidance

29. Overseas Business Risk - Spain

    • 9 March 2015
    • Guidance

30. Overseas Business Risk - Sweden

    • 9 July 2015
    • Guidance

31. Overseas Business Risk - Switzerland

    • 29 February 2016
    • Guidance

32. Overseas Business Risk - Turkey

    • 2 June 2016
    • Guidance

33. Overseas Business Risk - Ukraine

    • 2 September 2016
    • Guidance

Middle East

1. Overseas Business Risk - Bahrain

   • 9 July 2015
   • Guidance

2. Overseas Business Risk - Israel

   • 14 April 2016
   • Guidance

3. Overseas Business Risk - Iraq

   • 16 July 2015
   • Guidance

4. Overseas Business Risk - Jordan

   • 16 September 2015
   • Guidance

5. Overseas Business Risk - Kuwait

   • 9 May 2016
   • Guidance

6. Overseas Business Risk - Lebanon

   • 2 November 2015
   • Guidance

7. Overseas Business Risk - The Occupied Palestinian Territories

   • 14 July 2015
   • Guidance

8. Overseas Business Risk – Oman

   • 17 September 2015
   • Guidance

9. Overseas Business Risk - Qatar

   • 20 July 2016
   • Guidance

10. Overseas Business Risk - Saudi Arabia

    • 17 March 2016
    • Guidance

11. Overseas Business Risk - Tunisia

    • 9 July 2015
    • Guidance

12. Overseas Business Risk – United Arab Emirates

    • 29 March 2016
    • Guidance

Oceania

1. Overseas Business Risk - Australia

   • 5 September 2016
   • Guidance

2. Overseas Business Risk – New Zealand

   • 3 August 2015
   • Guidance

3. Overseas Business Risk - Papua New Guinea

   • 20 October 2015
   • Guidance

• Published: 27 November 2014
• Updated: 11 May 2016

+ full page history

• 11 May 2016 2:02pm: Senegal page added
• 8 February 2016 5:08pm: Burma and Jamaica market profiles added to the Overseas Business Risk service
• 4 February 2016 11:08am: Updated Cyprus profile added to OBR service; added new link to Nigeria's new profile
• 15 January 2016 11:18am: New Ireland market profle added to Overseas Business Risk webservice
• 11 January 2016 3:08pm: New link added for Canada's overseas business risk profile
• 23 November 2015 4:01pm: New links added for new Cambodia and Afghanistan OBR reports
• 6 November 2015 11:44am: NEW Morocco OBR added to Africa collection
• 2 November 2015 2:39pm: New Paraguay OBR page added to the Americas collection
• 29 October 2015 3:39pm: Overseas Business Risk documents for Cuba
• 27 October 2015 6:00pm: NEW Suriname and Guyana OBR reports added to the collection
• 26 October 2015 5:15pm: Overseas Business Risk documents for Costa Rica and Nicaragua added.
• 23 October 2015 1:17pm: Additon of FCO Economic factsheets to further reading for market information.
• 20 October 2015 1:01pm: Two new country profiles added - Cayman Islands and Papua New Guinea
• 3 August 2015 12:14pm: Added Norway
• 30 July 2015 12:45pm: Added Overseas Business Risks, Zambia document
• 6 November 2014 5:05pm: Gabon, Peru
• 2 October 2014 3:06pm: intellectual property abroad
• 4 August 2014 4:35pm: China update
• 1 August 2014 4:51pm: Namibia and Argentina
• 30 July 2014 5:05pm: change to ordering
• 25 July 2014 12:55pm: bahrain and cote d'ivoire
• 23 July 2014 2:37pm: Added Luxembourg
• 22 July 2014 2:24pm: Thailand and Poland Updates
• 21 July 2014 4:55pm: July update for Russia and Ukraine
• 15 July 2014 2:33pm: Updated Mauritius page 15 July
• 14 July 2014 2:18pm: Mauritius Update - July 14 2014
• 9 July 2014 5:08pm: Overseas Business Risk - Hong Kong
• 2 July 2014 5:42pm: Updated links
• 12 June 2014 11:24am: Link to FCO Political and Economic Updates
• 27 November 2014 2:01pm: First published.

• From: Foreign & Commonwealth Office
• From: Department for International Trade