CommerceKit guidance is practical orientation only. Official government, customs, tax, regulator, broker, or legal advice takes priority where it conflicts.
GOV.UK Trade Tariff
Classify & Cost the Product
Official Government Free
UK commodity code, duty, VAT, and import measure checks before quoting or filing.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Declaration-time measures, reliefs, restrictions, and commodity-code details still need broker or authority verification.
Best used for: You are importing into the UK and need a declaration-grade tariff baseline.
Find UK Commodity Codes
Classify & Cost the Product
Official Government Free
UK commodity-code discovery when a supplier has only given a generic HS heading.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: A search result is not classification evidence; read notes, measures, and product facts before using it.
Best used for: Classifying products before final quote, PO approval, or broker pre-check.
USITC HTS Search
Classify & Cost the Product
Official Government Free
US HTS lookup for duty rates, statistical suffixes, and tariff notes.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Ambiguous products, trade remedies, exclusions, and admissibility questions may still need CBP or broker review.
Best used for: Estimating US import duty exposure before supplier or customer pricing.
US CBP CROSS Rulings
Classify & Cost the Product
Official Government Free
Historical US classification rulings that show how CBP treated similar products and facts.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Rulings are fact-specific and can age; confirm current scope before relying on a similar case.
Best used for: Classification risk is material, disputed, or tied to a margin-sensitive duty rate.
EU Access2Markets
Classify & Cost the Product
Official Government Free
EU trade assistant for tariffs, rules of origin, procedures, formalities, and market requirements.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Local customs, product, and licensing requirements still need destination-market confirmation.
Best used for: Planning an EU import/export lane or checking whether preference changes landed cost.
EU TARIC Consultation
Classify & Cost the Product
Official Government Free
Granular EU TARIC measure lookup for commodity codes, duty, suspensions, quotas, and controls.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: TARIC gives measures; product classification and regulatory interpretation can still need specialist review.
Best used for: You need EU declaration-grade measure detail after narrowing the commodity code.
WCO Harmonized System
Classify & Cost the Product
Intergovernmental Reference Free
Global HS framework context for teams learning chapters, headings, and classification logic.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: The HS framework is not a national declaration database; country-specific codes and measures still govern filings.
Best used for: Training sourcing, finance, and operations teams before they compare supplier codes.
HMRC VAT Rates
Classify & Cost the Product
Official Government Free
UK VAT-rate reference for checking whether pricing assumes the right VAT treatment.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Import VAT timing and recovery still depend on customs value, importer setup, and evidence.
Best used for: Validating UK VAT assumptions before quoting, listing, or importing.
Trade.gov Incoterms Guide
Contract & Resolve Disputes
Official Government Free
Plain-English Incoterms orientation for buyers and sellers before RFQ or PO negotiation.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Use it for orientation, not as a substitute for the ICC rule text or contract wording.
Best used for: A team needs a fast sanity check on cost and risk responsibility before accepting a quote.
ICC Incoterms Rules
Contract & Resolve Disputes
Industry Body Commercial Paid
Canonical Incoterms source for rule updates, official publications, and contract precision.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Free summaries are not the full rule text; contract wording still needs professional review.
Best used for: Drafting, reviewing, or disputing the cost/risk handover in an international sale.
Maersk Track & Trace
Move the Goods
Commercial Free
Carrier milestone tracking for Maersk containers, bookings, and shipment references.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: It reflects carrier-controlled events and may not cover forwarder, customs, warehouse, or inland exceptions.
Best used for: Monitoring a named Maersk shipment before customer delivery or warehouse planning.
MSC Container Tracking
Move the Goods
Commercial Free
MSC shipment status and routing checks by container, booking, or bill of lading reference.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Carrier tracking can lag transshipment, port, customs, and forwarder-managed events.
Best used for: Checking MSC-operated legs before updating ETA, free-time, or customer commitments.
Hapag-Lloyd Tracking
Move the Goods
Commercial Free
Hapag-Lloyd container movement visibility by container, booking, or bill of lading reference.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Use exact references and confirm inland, customs, and warehouse milestones separately.
Best used for: Checking delay risk before delivery appointments, customer promises, or demurrage exposure.
MarineTraffic
Move the Goods
Commercial Freemium
AIS vessel position visibility when carrier portals do not explain a delay or route change.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: AIS can be delayed, incomplete, or irrelevant to container release and final delivery.
Best used for: Validating vessel movement outside carrier portals during in-transit exceptions.
Drewry Container Indices
Move the Goods
Commercial Freemium
Container freight market trendline for stress-testing quote assumptions.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Index levels are not your forwarder quote, carrier contract, accessorial charges, or local delivery cost.
Best used for: Checking whether a freight budget is stale before quoting or approving margin.
XE Currency
Get Paid & Manage Payment Risk
Commercial Free
Indicative spot FX conversion for normalizing supplier quotes, customer prices, and invoices.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Indicative rates are not executable bank, card, treasury, or settlement rates.
Best used for: Rapid quote comparison across currencies before adding FX buffer or bank spread.
IMF Data
Get Paid & Manage Payment Risk
Intergovernmental Free
Macro, historical FX, and country-level data for planning assumptions and stress tests.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Not a live dealing rate and not a substitute for treasury, bank, or payment-provider quotes.
Best used for: Reviewing FX volatility or macro context before accepting long payment terms.
OpenCorporates
Verify the Counterparty
Commercial Freemium
Cross-country company registry discovery for early counterparty identity checks.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Coverage, source freshness, and filings vary by jurisdiction; it does not prove reliability or bank ownership.
Best used for: Building a first evidence file before supplier onboarding or payment release.
UK Companies House
Verify the Counterparty
Official Government Free
Official UK company filing, status, officer, and registered-address checks.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Legal existence does not prove trading reliability, payment safety, product capability, or bank ownership.
Best used for: Verifying UK buyers, suppliers, or intermediaries before credit or payment decisions.
US FDA Food Guidance
Comply with Food & Product Regulation
Official Government Free
US food compliance, labeling, facility, safety, ingredient, and import pathway orientation.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Requirements vary by product class, claim, facility role, and FDA or USDA jurisdiction.
Best used for: Planning a US food import, private-label launch, or regulated ingredient review.
EFSA
Comply with Food & Product Regulation
Official Free
EU food safety science, risk assessments, opinions, and risk-communication context.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Scientific opinions are not the same as binding EU or member-state legal requirements.
Best used for: Understanding food-risk context before importing, labeling, or approving a supplier.
WTO Tariff Profiles
Read the Market
Intergovernmental Free
Country tariff profile comparisons and high-level trade-policy context.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Aggregated profiles are not declaration-grade tariff detail for a specific shipment.
Best used for: Screening markets before doing product-level tariff and landed-cost work.
World Bank LPI
Read the Market
Intergovernmental Free
Country logistics performance benchmarking for market-entry and supply-chain planning.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Macro index data does not predict a specific lane, port, carrier, broker, or warehouse outcome.
Best used for: Comparing country logistics environments before supplier or market expansion.
Port of Rotterdam
Move the Goods
Reference Free
Major EU port operational notices, infrastructure context, and port-service orientation.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Port-level information does not replace carrier ETA, terminal release, customs status, or local delivery confirmation.
Best used for: Routing, congestion, or corridor questions touch Rotterdam.
Alibaba
Source & Diversify Suppliers
Marketplace Commercial Freemium
Large-scale supplier discovery, RFQ outreach, and early price-benchmarking across categories.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: A platform listing is not proof of factory ownership, compliance, quality capability, or payment safety.
Best used for: Building a supplier longlist before identity, quote, quality, and payment controls.
Global Sources
Source & Diversify Suppliers
Marketplace Commercial Freemium
Supplier discovery with catalog and trade-show context, especially for Asia sourcing.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Verify licenses, factory relationship, product evidence, and QC systems independently.
Best used for: Diversifying supplier pipeline beyond one marketplace or sourcing channel.
ICC Trade Finance Basics
Get Paid & Manage Payment Risk
Industry Body Freemium
ICC context for letters of credit, guarantees, collections, and trade-finance rule families.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Execution details require bank, legal, document, and counterparty confirmation.
Best used for: Choosing payment-risk controls before accepting LC, collection, guarantee, or open-account terms.
OFAC Sanctions Search
Verify the Counterparty
Official Government Free
US sanctions screening for counterparties, banks, intermediaries, vessels, and names before payment.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: US screening is necessary but not sufficient; screen other relevant jurisdictions and escalate possible matches.
Best used for: Before onboarding, accepting a buyer, releasing a wire, or shipping to higher-risk markets.
WCO Trade Tools
Classify & Cost the Product
Intergovernmental Freemium
WCO platform for HS, origin, valuation, and trade-agreement reference work.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Some material is gated and national customs rules still control declarations.
Best used for: You need global HS, origin, or valuation context before country-specific checks.
ITC Market Access Map
Classify & Cost the Product
Intergovernmental Free
Compare tariffs, trade remedies, requirements, and market-access conditions by product and market.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Use it for analysis and comparison; verify declaration details with the destination authority or broker.
Best used for: Comparing destination markets or checking whether tariff preference changes deal economics.
ITC Rules of Origin Facilitator
Classify & Cost the Product
Intergovernmental Free
Free trade-agreement and product-specific rules of origin lookup for SMEs.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Preference claims still need supplier records, correct HS code, and acceptable proof of origin.
Best used for: Testing whether a reduced duty rate can be supported before quoting preference.
Canada CBSA Customs Tariff
Classify & Cost the Product
Official Government Free
Canadian customs tariff schedule reference for duty and classification work.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Confirm GST, excise, SIMA, origin, and admissibility details before filing or pricing.
Best used for: Screening Canadian import duty exposure after identifying the likely HS code.
Australia Border Force Working Tariff
Classify & Cost the Product
Official Government Free
Australian working tariff reference for classification and duty-rate review.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Not a full landed-cost calculator; verify GST, concessions, biosecurity, and permits separately.
Best used for: Checking Australian import treatment before committing to a supplier or quote.
South Africa SARS Tariff
Classify & Cost the Product
Official Government Free
South African tariff schedule, duty, and customs/excise measure reference.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: PDF schedules and trade-remedy details may require broker interpretation before declaration.
Best used for: Checking South Africa import duty exposure during market-entry screening.
GLEIF LEI Search
Verify the Counterparty
Industry Body Free
Legal Entity Identifier lookup for entity identity, status, and relationship data where available.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Not every supplier or buyer has an LEI, and LEI status does not prove payment safety or trading reliability.
Best used for: Verifying larger corporates, financial counterparties, or entities that provide an LEI on documents.
EU VIES VAT Validation
Verify the Counterparty
Official Government Free
EU VAT number validation before invoicing, zero-rating, or intra-EU customer checks.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: VAT validity is not proof of solvency, authority to trade, or sanctions clearance.
Best used for: Checking EU customer or supplier VAT details before invoice or payment workflows.
EU EORI Validation
Verify the Counterparty
Official Government Free
EU EORI number validation for importers, exporters, and customs parties.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: A valid EORI does not confirm authority, compliance, VAT recovery, or broker appointment.
Best used for: Before shipment or clearance when EU customs party identity matters.
HMRC UK VAT Checker
Verify the Counterparty
Official Government Free
Official UK VAT number validation and registered business-name checks.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: VAT registration does not prove creditworthiness, product capability, or bank-account ownership.
Best used for: Before invoicing a UK counterparty or validating tax details on trade documents.
EU Consolidated Sanctions List
Verify the Counterparty
Official Government Free
EU financial sanctions list reference for counterparties, owners, banks, and intermediaries.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Sanctions screening must be current, documented, and combined with other relevant jurisdictions.
Best used for: Before EU-linked payments, shipments, onboarding, or high-risk counterparty decisions.
UK Sanctions List Search
Verify the Counterparty
Official Government Free
UK sanctions screening for names, entities, and restrictions relevant to UK-linked trade.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Use alongside OFSI guidance and other jurisdictional lists for transaction-time decisions.
Best used for: Before UK-linked payments, supplier onboarding, customer acceptance, or shipment release.
UN Security Council Consolidated List
Verify the Counterparty
Intergovernmental Free
UN sanctions baseline list for globally relevant restricted-party screening.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: National sanctions regimes can go beyond the UN list; do not screen only one source.
Best used for: Building a multi-jurisdiction screening pack before payment or shipment.
OpenSanctions
Verify the Counterparty
Reference Freemium
Aggregated sanctions, PEP, and watchlist data for broad open-source screening context.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Use it as a screening aid, not as the legal authority for any sanctions decision.
Best used for: You need a broader name screen before escalating to official-list verification.
Codex Alimentarius
Comply with Food & Product Regulation
Intergovernmental Free
International food standards, guidelines, and codes used as reference points for food trade.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Codex is influential but not a substitute for destination-market law and customer requirements.
Best used for: Checking global food-standard context before supplier approval, labeling, or market entry.
EU RASFF Window
Comply with Food & Product Regulation
Official Government Free
EU food and feed safety alert history for products, origins, and risk patterns.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Alerts are historical and public fields may omit operator details; they do not clear a shipment.
Best used for: Screening food import risk before buying, shipping, or launching a product line.
USDA GAIN Reports
Comply with Food & Product Regulation
Official Government Free
Country-level food and agricultural import reports, exporter guides, and regulatory updates.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Reports can lag current law; verify live requirements with local authority, importer, or broker.
Best used for: Entering a new food market or checking country-specific labeling and import context.
UK Food Standards Agency
Comply with Food & Product Regulation
Official Government Free
UK food safety, allergen, labeling, hygiene, and alert guidance for food businesses.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Product-specific import rules can involve other UK agencies and border-control requirements.
Best used for: Checking UK food-market requirements before import, labeling, or customer approval.
IPPC ISPM Standards
Comply with Food & Product Regulation
Intergovernmental Free
International phytosanitary standards, including ISPM-15 wood-packaging treatment context.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: National plant-health authorities issue requirements and certificates; confirm destination rules before shipping.
Best used for: Shipping plant products, wooden packaging, or goods needing phytosanitary evidence.
Freightos Baltic Index
Move the Goods
Commercial Freemium
Container spot-rate benchmark trends across major lanes for freight budget stress tests.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Index lanes are not your quote, equipment guarantee, local charge schedule, or booking priority.
Best used for: Checking whether a forwarder quote or landed-cost freight assumption is market-realistic.
Shanghai Containerized Freight Index
Move the Goods
Industry Body Free
Shanghai export container freight index signal for spot-market direction.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: SCFI is an index, not a quote, and does not include your local charges, free time, or service reliability.
Best used for: Benchmarking China-origin freight pressure before quote validity expires.
VesselFinder
Move the Goods
Commercial Freemium
AIS vessel and container visibility alongside carrier and forwarder tracking.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: AIS position does not equal cargo release, customs clearance, or warehouse-ready status.
Best used for: Triangulating vessel movement during delay, rollover, or ETA uncertainty.
CMA CGM Shipment Tracking
Move the Goods
Commercial Free
CMA CGM shipment and container tracking by shipment reference or container number.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Carrier tracking does not replace forwarder exception handling, customs status, or terminal release confirmation.
Best used for: Monitoring CMA CGM-operated legs before delivery planning or customer updates.
ONE Cargo Tracking
Move the Goods
Commercial Free
Ocean Network Express cargo tracking for ONE-operated bookings and containers.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Confirm transshipment, customs, terminal, and inland milestones outside the carrier portal when risk is material.
Best used for: Checking ONE shipment progress before delivery commitments or demurrage planning.
UN Comtrade
Read the Market
Intergovernmental Free
Official international trade-flow data by product, reporter, partner, and period.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Trade data can lag, require HS interpretation, and does not prove supplier quality or current availability.
Best used for: Testing whether a market, origin, or product flow is large enough to investigate.
ITC Trade Map
Read the Market
Intergovernmental Freemium
Trade indicators, market share, growth, and importing/exporting company discovery by HS product.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Registration and access rules vary; use it for market intelligence, not shipment clearance.
Best used for: Comparing potential origin or destination markets before supplier sourcing or launch.
World Bank WITS
Read the Market
Intergovernmental Free
Integrated trade, tariff, and non-tariff-measure data for market analysis.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: It is an analytical data tool, not a declaration-grade tariff portal or broker substitute.
Best used for: Comparing trade flows, tariff exposure, and country opportunities before deeper due diligence.
UNCITRAL
Contract & Resolve Disputes
Intergovernmental Free
International trade law texts, sale-of-goods reference materials, and dispute-resolution frameworks.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Reference texts are not deal-specific legal advice and must be localized to the governing law and contract.
Best used for: Reviewing cross-border sale, arbitration, and legal-framework questions before counsel drafts.
ICC Arbitration
Contract & Resolve Disputes
Industry Body Commercial Freemium
ICC arbitration information, dispute-resolution services, and standard clause orientation.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Arbitration is costly and contract-specific; clause wording, seat, language, and enforcement need legal review.
Best used for: Deciding whether an international sale or distribution agreement needs a formal dispute forum.
WCO Members Directory
Directory of Directories
Intergovernmental Directory Free
Finding national customs administrations through the World Customs Organization member directory.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Directory links are starting points; live tariff, procedure, and filing rules sit on national authority sites.
Best used for: You need to identify the competent customs authority before deeper country research.
ICC World Chambers Federation
Directory of Directories
Industry Body Directory Free
Finding chamber-of-commerce networks that may support origin documents, introductions, and local trade contacts.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: A chamber connection does not prove supplier capability, buyer seriousness, or certificate-of-origin eligibility.
Best used for: You need a credible local chamber route before supplier checks, market entry, or certificate-of-origin questions.
GLEIF Registration Authorities List
Directory of Directories
Industry Body Directory Free
Finding official business registers and registration authorities connected to LEI entity records by jurisdiction.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: It identifies registry sources; it does not verify payment safety, trading history, ownership risk, or bank-account control.
Best used for: You need to trace which authority or register should support a legal-entity check in another country.
Berne Union Members Directory
Directory of Directories
Industry Body Directory Free
Finding export credit agencies, credit insurers, and investment insurers that may support payment-risk cover.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Member listings do not mean cover is available for your buyer, country, tenor, sector, or deal structure.
Best used for: Assessing whether open-account, deferred-payment, or country-risk exposure needs insurance or ECA support.
IPPC Country and NPPO Directory
Directory of Directories
Intergovernmental Directory Free
Finding National Plant Protection Organization contacts and country pages for plant-health and phytosanitary requirements.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: NPPO pages point you to authority information; shipment acceptance still depends on current import permits, treatments, and certificate wording.
Best used for: Shipping plants, plant products, wooden packaging, or food cargo where phytosanitary evidence may be required.
WOAH Members and Delegates
Directory of Directories
Intergovernmental Directory Free
Finding the World Organisation for Animal Health member and delegate structure behind national veterinary authority decisions.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: WOAH membership context does not replace destination-market veterinary certificates, import permits, or border-control instructions.
Best used for: Animal-origin food, pet food, meat, dairy, or live-animal related trade needs the right veterinary authority path.
ISO Members Directory
Directory of Directories
Industry Body Directory Free
Finding national standards bodies that represent ISO and publish or sell adopted standards by country.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: ISO member status does not prove a supplier is certified or that a product meets a required standard.
Best used for: You need the national standards body before checking product standards, labeling rules, or certification claims.
IAF CertSearch
Directory of Directories
Industry Body Directory Freemium
Checking management-system certification claims against the IAF accredited certification network where records are available.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Absence from the database is not always proof a certificate is invalid; still check the certificate body, accreditation scope, site, and expiry.
Best used for: A supplier claims ISO 9001 or another management-system certificate and the certificate influences approval.
ILAC MRA Signatory Search
Directory of Directories
Industry Body Directory Free
Finding laboratory, inspection, testing, calibration, and accreditation bodies under the ILAC MRA network.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: The signatory directory does not prove a specific test report is genuine, in scope, current, or acceptable to the buyer or regulator.
Best used for: You need to assess whether lab, inspection, or test evidence comes from an accredited route.
FIATA Members Directory
Directory of Directories
Industry Body Directory Free
Finding national freight-forwarder associations and FIATA-connected freight logistics contacts by territory.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: A directory listing does not replace forwarder quote comparison, license checks, insurance review, or service-scope confirmation.
Best used for: You need a freight association route or local forwarding contact before comparing quotes on an unfamiliar lane.
World Port Source
Directory of Directories
Reference Directory Free
Finding ports, terminals, and port reference pages when planning a new route or checking a named port.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Port directory data can be incomplete or dated; carrier, terminal, and port authority information should control live operations.
Best used for: You need a quick port-location starting point before validating routing, terminal, free-time, or congestion details.
ITC Business Support Organization Directory
Directory of Directories
Intergovernmental Directory Free
Finding chambers, trade promotion organizations, investment agencies, associations, and other business support organizations by country.
Open resource Guidance▾ Watch out for: Directory presence does not prove a body can solve your specific customs, legal, sourcing, or dispute issue.
Best used for: You need a local institutional starting point for market entry, supplier search, export support, or chamber introductions.