Foreign markets databases

You can find a great deal of useful information on well-known and reliable international databases. Some of these databases you can access directly, others require a login.

Eurostat Business Sector Profile

Eurostat, the EU Statistics Bureau, offers Business Sector Profile, a dashboard on which you can find extensive information on branches and themes across the EU of per EU member state. You can use it, for example, to find out how large the import and export market is in any given EU country per product category.

Landeninformatie: information per country

No doubt you have certain ideas about the countries you want to trade with: should they be near the Netherlands, or doesn't it matter? What should the purchasing power per head of the population be? There are many considerations, and only you know which ones are important for you.

Not sure which country or countries to choose? A good start is to read information about countries and cultural differences you might experience when doing business with them. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency, RVO, offers information per country: landeninformatie (in Dutch).

On the website of KVK, you can find information on doing business with several countries. And the EU Access2Markets tool tells you which rules and taxes apply to any product you may want to export. Or any trade agreements or barriers.

World Bank

The World Bank has an extensive range of trade data. This includes the interactive database on trade and competitiveness. Users can, for example, compare countries over time, download data, and see data on maps. In collaboration with the UN, the World Bank also developed the World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS). This software allows users to access and retrieve information on trade and tariffs.

International Trade Center Trade Map

The International Trade Center Trade Map database offers data on trade flows and figures of goods and services (import and export). It enables you to find potential gaps in the market for your product.

German Trade & Invest (GTAI)

German Trade & Invest (GTAI) is the agency for the promotion of foreign trade and investments in Germany. The website offers news and sector reports on foreign markets in English.

Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI)

The Centre for the Promotion of Imports from Developing Countries (CBI) offers information about several sectors in the European Union. Their aim is to stimulate imports from developing countries. The CBI publishes market information per country, as well as EU rules and regulations. You can find reports on several sectors, including:

• agricultural and food industry
• consumer goods
• electronics
• medical and pharmaceutical industry
• machines and equipment
• textile industry