Collection

Overseas Business Risk

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

Published 27 November 2014
Last updated 20 June 2017 — see all updates

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

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
   • 30 January 2018
   • Guidance
2. Overseas Business Risk - Angola
   • 10 October 2019
   • Guidance
3. Overseas Business Risk - Cameroon
   • 30 June 2017
   • Guidance
4. Overseas Business Risk - Côte D'Ivoire
   • 23 February 2018
   • Guidance
5. Overseas Business Risk - Ethiopia
   • 15 May 2018
   • Guidance
6. Overseas Business Risk – Ghana
   • 11 April 2017
   • Guidance
7. Overseas Business Risk - Guinea
   • 8 June 2017
   • Guidance
8. Overseas Business Risk - Kenya
   • 11 May 2017
   • Guidance
9. Overseas Business Risk - Mauritius
   • 19 July 2019
   • Guidance
10. Overseas Business Risk - Morocco
    • 24 April 2017
    • Guidance
11. Overseas Business Risk - Mozambique
    • 20 June 2018
    • Guidance
12. Overseas Business Risk - Namibia
    • 3 August 2018
    • Guidance
13. Overseas Business Risk - Nigeria
    • 29 January 2018
    • Guidance
14. Overseas Business Risk - Rwanda
    • 11 July 2017
    • Guidance
15. Overseas Business Risk - Senegal
    • 16 June 2017
    • Guidance
16. Overseas Business Risk – Sierra Leone
    • 4 July 2019
    • Guidance
17. Overseas Business Risk - South Africa
    • 9 March 2018
    • Guidance
18. Overseas Business Risk - Tunisia
    • 9 July 2015
    • Guidance
19. Overseas Business Risk - Uganda
    • 2 May 2018
    • Guidance
20. Overseas Business Risk – Zambia
    • 8 June 2017
    • Guidance

Americas

1. Overseas Business Risk - Argentina
   • 19 July 2018
   • Guidance
2. Overseas Business Risk - Barbados
   • 5 August 2019
   • Guidance
3. Overseas Business Risk – Bolivia
   • 1 July 2019
   • Guidance
4. Overseas Business Risk - Brazil
   • 8 June 2017
   • Guidance
5. Overseas Business Risk - Canada
   • 21 April 2017
   • Guidance
6. Overseas Business Risk - Cayman Islands
   • 21 August 2017
   • Guidance
7. Overseas Business Risk - Chile
   • 10 May 2018
   • Guidance
8. Overseas Business Risk - Colombia
   • 12 November 2018
   • Guidance
9. Overseas Business Risk - Costa Rica
   • 23 May 2018
   • Guidance
10. Overseas Business Risk - Cuba
    • 16 May 2018
    • Guidance
11. Overseas Business Risk – Dominican Republic
    • 29 May 2017
    • Guidance
12. Overseas Business Risk - Ecuador
    • 28 June 2017
    • Guidance
13. Overseas Business Risk - Guatemala
    • 22 May 2018
    • Guidance
14. Overseas Business Risk - Guyana
    • 9 June 2017
    • Guidance
15. Overseas Business Risk - Honduras
    • 22 May 2018
    • Guidance
16. Overseas Business Risk - Jamaica
    • 20 June 2017
    • Guidance
17. Overseas Business Risk - Mexico
    • 2 March 2018
    • Guidance
18. Overseas Business Risk - Nicaragua
    • 23 May 2018
    • Guidance
19. Overseas Business Risk - Panama
    • 20 June 2017
    • Guidance
20. Overseas Business Risk - Paraguay
    • 28 August 2019
    • Guidance
21. Overseas Business Risk - Peru
    • 15 May 2018
    • Guidance
22. Overseas Business Risk - Suriname
    • 27 October 2015
    • Guidance
23. Overseas Business Risk – Trinidad & Tobago
    • 16 July 2019
    • Guidance
24. Overseas Business Risk - Uruguay
    • 30 August 2018
    • Guidance
25. Overseas Business Risk - Venezuela
    • 1 June 2017
    • Guidance

Asia

1. Overseas Business Risk - Afghanistan
   • 4 March 2019
   • Guidance
2. Overseas Business Risk - Bangladesh
   • 20 June 2017
   • Guidance
3. Overseas Business Risk Myanmar (Burma)
   • 18 December 2015
   • Guidance
4. Overseas Business Risk - Cambodia
   • 19 June 2017
   • Guidance
5. Overseas Business Risk - China
   • 4 September 2019
   • Guidance
6. Overseas Business Risk - Hong Kong
   • 23 August 2019
   • Guidance
7. Overseas Business Risk - India
   • 4 August 2017
   • Guidance
8. Overseas Business Risk - Indonesia
   • 18 May 2018
   • Guidance
9. Overseas Business Risk - Japan
   • 17 July 2019
   • Guidance
10. Overseas Business Risk - Kazakhstan
    • 28 May 2019
    • Guidance
11. Overseas Business Risk - Malaysia
    • 20 October 2015
    • Guidance
12. Overseas Business Risk - Nepal
    • 22 August 2019
    • Guidance
13. Overseas Business Risk - Pakistan
    • 3 August 2017
    • Guidance
14. Overseas Business Risk - Philippines
    • 16 June 2017
    • Guidance
15. Overseas Business Risk - Singapore
    • 18 April 2016
    • Guidance
16. Overseas Business Risk – South Korea
    • 5 June 2017
    • Guidance
17. Overseas Business Risk – Sri Lanka
    • 22 July 2019
    • Guidance
18. Overseas Business Risk - Taiwan
    • 14 August 2019
    • Guidance
19. Overseas Business Risk - Thailand
    • 26 June 2017
    • Guidance
20. Overseas Business Risk - Turkmenistan
    • 20 June 2019
    • Guidance
21. Overseas Business Risk - Vietnam
    • 26 August 2019
    • Guidance

Europe

1. Overseas Business Risk - Austria
   • 19 August 2019
   • Guidance
2. Overseas Business Risk - Belgium
   • 30 September 2019
   • Guidance
3. Overseas Business Risk - Bosnia and Herzegovina
   • 11 July 2019
   • Guidance
4. Overseas Business Risk - Bulgaria
   • 24 July 2019
   • Guidance
5. Overseas Business Risk - Croatia
   • 23 July 2019
   • Guidance
6. Overseas Business Risk - Cyprus
   • 18 May 2017
   • Guidance
7. Overseas Business Risk - Czech Republic
   • 11 May 2018
   • Guidance
8. Overseas Business Risk - Denmark
   • 16 July 2018
   • Guidance
9. Overseas Business Risk - Estonia
   • 20 February 2017
   • Guidance
10. Overseas Business Risk - Finland
    • 1 July 2019
    • Guidance
11. Overseas Business Risk - France
    • 27 April 2018
    • Guidance
12. Overseas Business Risk - Germany
    • 15 August 2019
    • Guidance
13. Overseas Business Risk - Greece
    • 28 February 2017
    • Guidance
14. Overseas Business Risk - Hungary
    • 31 May 2018
    • Guidance
15. Overseas Business Risk - Ireland
    • 20 June 2018
    • Guidance
16. Overseas Business Risk - Italy
    • 12 August 2019
    • Guidance
17. Overseas Business Risk - Latvia
    • 21 February 2018
    • Guidance
18. Overseas Business Risk - Lithuania
    • 28 March 2017
    • Guidance
19. Overseas Business Risk - Luxembourg
    • 26 June 2017
    • Guidance
20. Overseas Business Risk - Moldova
    • 3 September 2018
    • Guidance
21. Overseas Business Risk - North Macedonia
    • 21 June 2019
    • Guidance
22. Overseas Business Risk - Norway
    • 10 July 2019
    • Guidance
23. Overseas Business Risk - Poland
    • 18 July 2019
    • Guidance
24. Overseas Business Risk - Portugal
    • 29 August 2018
    • Guidance
25. Overseas Business Risk - Romania
    • 22 May 2017
    • Guidance
26. Overseas Business Risk - Russia
    • 15 August 2019
    • Guidance
27. Overseas Business Risk - Serbia
    • 10 July 2019
    • Guidance
28. Overseas Business Risk - Slovakia
    • 11 July 2019
    • Guidance
29. Overseas Business Risk - Slovenia
    • 20 July 2015
    • Guidance
30. Overseas Business Risk - Spain
    • 25 April 2017
    • Guidance
31. Overseas Business Risk - Sweden
    • 24 February 2017
    • Guidance
32. Overseas Business Risk - Switzerland
    • 23 July 2019
    • Guidance
33. Overseas Business Risk - Turkey
    • 2 August 2019
    • Guidance
34. Overseas Business Risk - Ukraine
    • 19 June 2017
    • Guidance

Middle East

1. Overseas Business Risk - Bahrain
   • 19 February 2018
   • Guidance
2. Overseas Business Risk - Israel
   • 26 February 2018
   • Guidance
3. Overseas Business Risk - Iraq
   • 20 August 2019
   • Guidance
4. Overseas Business Risk - Jordan
   • 16 September 2015
   • Guidance
5. Overseas Business Risk - Kuwait
   • 17 September 2019
   • Guidance
6. Overseas Business Risk - Lebanon
   • 1 March 2019
   • Guidance
7. Overseas Business Risk - The Occupied Palestinian Territories
   • 13 September 2019
   • Guidance
8. Overseas Business Risk – Oman
   • 11 June 2017
   • Guidance
9. Overseas Business Risk - Qatar
   • 23 November 2017
   • Guidance
10. Overseas Business Risk - Saudi Arabia
    • 12 March 2017
    • Guidance
11. Overseas Business Risk – United Arab Emirates
    • 2 March 2017
    • Guidance

Oceania

1. Overseas Business Risk - Australia
   • 14 August 2019
   • Guidance
2. Overseas Business Risk – New Zealand
   • 3 August 2015
   • Guidance
3. Overseas Business Risk - Papua New Guinea
   • 23 June 2017
   • Guidance

Published 27 November 2014
Last updated 20 June 2017 + show all updates

1. 20 June 2017 Overseas Business Risk - Uruguay updated.
2. 8 June 2017 Guinea guidance added
3. 7 February 2017 Overseas Business Risk for Bolivia added
4. 11 May 2016 Senegal page added
5. 8 February 2016 Burma and Jamaica market profiles added to the Overseas Business Risk service
6. 4 February 2016 Updated Cyprus profile added to OBR service; added new link to Nigeria's new profile
7. 15 January 2016 New Ireland market profle added to Overseas Business Risk webservice
8. 11 January 2016 New link added for Canada's overseas business risk profile
9. 23 November 2015 New links added for new Cambodia and Afghanistan OBR reports
10. 6 November 2015 NEW Morocco OBR added to Africa collection
11. 2 November 2015 New Paraguay OBR page added to the Americas collection
12. 29 October 2015 Overseas Business Risk documents for Cuba
13. 27 October 2015 NEW Suriname and Guyana OBR reports added to the collection
14. 26 October 2015 Overseas Business Risk documents for Costa Rica and Nicaragua added.
15. 23 October 2015 Additon of FCO Economic factsheets to further reading for market information.
16. 20 October 2015 Two new country profiles added - Cayman Islands and Papua New Guinea
17. 3 August 2015 Added Norway
18. 30 July 2015 Added Overseas Business Risks, Zambia document
19. 27 November 2014 First published.
20. 6 November 2014 Gabon, Peru
21. 2 October 2014 intellectual property abroad
22. 4 August 2014 China update
23. 1 August 2014 Namibia and Argentina
24. 30 July 2014 change to ordering
25. 25 July 2014 bahrain and cote d'ivoire
26. 23 July 2014 Added Luxembourg
27. 22 July 2014 Thailand and Poland Updates
28. 21 July 2014 July update for Russia and Ukraine
29. 15 July 2014 Updated Mauritius page 15 July
30. 14 July 2014 Mauritius Update - July 14 2014
31. 9 July 2014 Overseas Business Risk - Hong Kong
32. 2 July 2014 Updated links
33. 12 June 2014 Link to FCO Political and Economic Updates