Our sources, and how we use them.

Arikaart only says what a named, dated source supports. Here is each source and our method.

International sources

UN Comtrade

What it is: UN Comtrade is the United Nations’ database of official international trade statistics.
What we take from it: We use bilateral trade volumes at HS code level between your home country and your target market.
Where it shows up: It powers the trade-flow component of the market signal and corridor strength in matchmaking.
Update frequency: Updated on a rolling basis by national statistical offices. Most recent full year typically available 6–12 months after year-end. We refresh quarterly and show the reference year beside every figure.
Limitations: National reporting can lag by a year or more, so we show the reference year beside every figure.

World Bank BEE

What it is: The World Bank’s Business Enabling Environment (BEE) framework measures the quality of the regulatory environment for private sector development across 50+ economies, covering areas including business regulation, public services, and operational efficiency for firms.
What we take from it: Business environment quality scores and regulatory quality indices for the destination market, including trading-across-borders facilitation and contract enforcement indicators.
Where it shows up: The market signal’s business environment component, shown in the destination country overview.
Update frequency: Annual. We refresh when the World Bank publishes updated BEE data, typically mid-year.
Limitations: Coverage is strongest for larger economies. Some smaller markets have thinner underlying survey data, which the World Bank notes in its own confidence intervals. Scores reflect regulatory design, not always enforcement in practice.

ITU

What it is: The International Telecommunication Union is the United Nations’ specialised agency for information and communication technology. Their ICT Development Index and Global Connectivity Report measure digital infrastructure and adoption across 190+ countries.
What we take from it: Digital infrastructure indicators: mobile and broadband penetration, internet access rates, and ICT use. Used to assess how developed the digital economy is in the destination market.
Where it shows up: The market signal’s digital economy component. Weighted more heavily when the exporting company’s product is classified as software or digital services.
Update frequency: Annual. We refresh when ITU publishes updated figures, typically Q4 each year.
Limitations: Data for some developing markets lags by one to two years due to limited national reporting capacity. We show the reference year beside every figure.

WIPO

What it is: The World Intellectual Property Organization is the United Nations agency responsible for global intellectual property policy, services, and information. WIPO publishes the Global Innovation Index and maintains the WIPO IP Statistics Data Center covering trademark and patent registrations by country.
What we take from it: Two distinct uses. First, IP environment quality in the destination market, derived from WIPO’s Global Innovation Index IP pillar. Second, company-level trademark and patent filings, queried per company to pre-fill the IP protection question in Stage 2 of the readiness assessment.
Where it shows up: The market signal’s IP environment component. The readiness assessment Stage 2, question Q2.2 (IP protection pre-fill).
Update frequency: Global Innovation Index annually. Company-level trademark and patent data queried on demand.
Limitations: IP environment scores reflect published policy and infrastructure, not enforcement effectiveness in practice. Company-level filings cover WIPO’s Madrid System (trademarks) and PCT (patents) only. National filings outside these international systems are not captured.

OECD STRI

What it is: The OECD Services Trade Restrictiveness Index measures regulatory barriers to international trade in services across 50+ countries and 22 service sectors. It is published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What we take from it: Sector-specific restrictiveness scores for your service category in the destination market. A higher STRI score means more regulatory barriers for foreign service providers.
Where it shows up: The market signal for companies classified as services providers (determined by NACE sector code). Does not appear for goods exporters.
Update frequency: Annual. We refresh when the OECD publishes updated STRI data, typically mid-year.
Limitations: Coverage is limited to 50+ OECD and key partner countries. Many emerging markets are not covered. The OECD’s service sector taxonomy may not map precisely to every company’s specific offering.

World Bank financial inclusion

What it is: The World Bank’s Global Financial Inclusion Database (Global Findex) is the world’s most comprehensive dataset on how adults save, borrow, make payments, and manage financial risk. It surveys 150+ economies.
What we take from it: Banking penetration rates (the share of adults with a bank account), digital payment adoption, and mobile money usage by country. Used to show how buyers in the destination market typically pay.
Where it shows up: The destination country overview: the “how people pay” figure shown alongside income and population.
Update frequency: Published every three years. The most recent edition is 2021. We will update when the next edition is released.
Limitations: A three-year publication cycle means the data can lag fast-moving payment markets, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia where mobile money adoption is evolving rapidly.

EU, UN and US sanctions lists

What it is: Three regulatory frameworks that restrict trade with designated countries, entities, and individuals: the EU Consolidated Sanctions List maintained by the European External Action Service, the UN Security Council Consolidated Sanctions List, and the US OFAC Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List and country-specific sanctions programmes.
What we take from it: Active country-level sanctions and trade restrictions affecting the destination market. We also screen for product-specific restrictions where the exported product falls into a controlled or dual-use category.
Where it shows up: The market signal: a sanctions flag appears when the destination country has active EU, UN, or US sanctions. The readiness report: an AI-generated flag surfaces relevant licensing or trade restriction considerations. The matchmaking engine excludes sanctioned entities from the destination pool.
Update frequency: Continuous. All three lists are monitored in near-real-time. Changes propagate to the market signal and match pool within 24 hours of a list update.
Limitations: We screen against published official lists. Secondary sanctions risk, end-use violations, and informal trade restrictions not reflected in official lists are not captured. All companies must conduct their own legal review before entering any restricted market.

WCO HS 2022

What it is: The Harmonized System is the World Customs Organization’s internationally standardised nomenclature for classifying traded products. The 2022 edition covers 97 chapters and approximately 5,000 six-digit subheadings. Every WTO member country uses it as the basis for customs tariffs, trade statistics, and trade policy.
What we take from it: The full HS 2022 nomenclature as the product classification standard throughout the platform. Used by the AI mapping engine to translate plain-language product descriptions into HS codes, and as the common classification layer for all trade analysis.
Where it shows up: The product description step of the readiness assessment (Q4) and the institutional questionnaire. All trade corridor analysis in the market signal. The product overlap component of the matchmaking formula.
Update frequency: The HS nomenclature is revised every five years by the WCO. HS 2022 is valid until the next revision. We implement any mid-cycle corrigenda as published.
Limitations: HS codes classify goods at six-digit level. National tariff lines extend to eight or ten digits, which can create classification ambiguity for highly specific products. Services cannot be classified using HS. Services companies are classified using the WTO W/120 services sectoral classification (implementation in a future release).

Business registries

PRH (Finland)

What it is: The Finnish Patent and Registration Office (Patentti- ja rekisterihallitus, PRH) is the Finnish government authority that maintains the Trade Register, the authoritative database of all businesses, associations, and foundations registered in Finland.
What we take from it: Company name, Y-tunnus (registration number), legal form, status, registered address, primary and secondary NACE sector codes (toimialakoodi), annual accounts (turnover, balance sheet, key ratios), director appointments and resignations, shareholder register, and full change history.
Where it shows up: Financial Health (D3) and Corporate Structure (D4) dimensions of the readiness score. Company credibility in the matchmaking formula. Registry monitoring: changes at watchlisted Finnish companies surface in the Updates feed within 24 hours.
Update frequency: Company status and director changes: typically within one to three business days of registration. Annual accounts: as filed, with most Finnish companies filing within eight months of year-end. We poll daily.
Limitations: Micro-entities (very small companies below the simplified reporting threshold) file balance sheet only, with no profit and loss detail. Companies with a fiscal year not aligned to the calendar year may have an accounts gap of up to 20 months following a year-end change.

Bolagsverket (Sweden)

What it is: The Swedish Companies Registration Office (Bolagsverket) is the Swedish government authority that registers and maintains information on all companies and other legal entities in Sweden.
What we take from it: Company name, organisationsnummer, legal form, status, registered address, SNI sector codes (Swedish NACE equivalent), annual reports, board of directors, shareholders, and branch registrations.
Where it shows up: Financial Health (D3) and Corporate Structure (D4) of the readiness score. Company credibility in matchmaking. Registry monitoring for watchlisted Swedish companies.
Update frequency: Company status and board changes: typically within one to five business days of registration. Annual reports: Swedish companies must file within seven months of year-end. We poll daily.
Limitations: Smaller Swedish limited companies (aktiebolag) below the full reporting threshold file simplified annual reports with limited financial detail. Historical data depth varies by company age and filing history.

Erhvervsstyrelsen (Denmark)

What it is: The Danish Business Authority (Erhvervsstyrelsen) is the Danish government agency that maintains the Central Business Register (CVR), Denmark’s authoritative database of all companies and associations.
What we take from it: Company name, CVR number, legal form, status, address, industry codes (DB07, the Danish NACE equivalent), annual reports, management, ownership structure, and change log.
Where it shows up: Financial Health (D3) and Corporate Structure (D4) of the readiness score. Company credibility in matchmaking. Registry monitoring for watchlisted Danish companies.
Update frequency: CVR updates propagate typically within one to three business days. Annual reports are filed within five months of year-end for most Danish companies. We poll daily.
Limitations: Denmark operates one of the most open and accessible business registries in the world, with real-time API access and broad public data coverage. The limitation is primarily financial detail depth for the smallest entities and sole traders.

Brønnøysundregistrene (Norway)

What it is: The Brønnøysund Register Centre is the Norwegian government body responsible for maintaining a range of national registers, including the Register of Business Enterprises (Foretaksregisteret), Norway’s authoritative company database.
What we take from it: Company name, organisation number, legal form, status, business address, NACE sector codes, annual accounts, board members, shareholders, and change history.
Where it shows up: Financial Health (D3) and Corporate Structure (D4) of the readiness score. Company credibility in matchmaking. Registry monitoring for watchlisted Norwegian companies.
Update frequency: Company status and management changes: one to five business days. Annual accounts: Norwegian companies must file by 31 July for the previous calendar year. We poll daily.
Limitations: Sole proprietors (enkeltpersonforetak) have more limited public disclosure than limited companies. Financial detail for very small companies is reduced compared to larger entities with full reporting obligations.

e-Äriregister (Estonia)

What it is: The e-Business Register (e-Äriregister) is maintained by the Estonian Centre of Registers and Information Systems (RIK) and is the authoritative public database of all companies, branches, and non-profit organisations registered in Estonia. Estonia’s digital-first government infrastructure makes this one of the most API-accessible registries in the world.
What we take from it: Company name, registry code, legal form, status, address, EMTAK codes (Estonian NACE), annual reports (balance sheet, income statement, notes), members of the management board, shareholders and beneficial owners, share capital, and full change history.
Where it shows up: Financial Health (D3) and Corporate Structure (D4) of the readiness score. Company credibility in matchmaking. Registry monitoring for watchlisted Estonian companies. Also the home registry for Kontorva Group OÜ, the company that builds and operates Arikaart.
Update frequency: Estonian registry changes propagate in near-real-time, typically same day or next business day. Annual reports are filed within six months of fiscal year-end. We poll daily.
Limitations: Companies below the micro-entity threshold file a simplified balance sheet only. Annual reports published before 2020 are available as PDF scans rather than structured digital data, limiting automated extraction for older records.

Lursoft / UR.gov.lv (Latvia)

What it is: Latvia’s official company data is maintained by the Register of Enterprises of the Republic of Latvia (Uzņēmumu reģistrs, UR.gov.lv). Lursoft is the primary licensed commercial data partner providing structured API access to the authoritative register.
What we take from it: Company name, registration number, legal form, status, registered address, NACE codes, annual accounts (where filed), board members, shareholders, and change history.
Where it shows up: Financial Health (D3) and Corporate Structure (D4) of the readiness score. Company credibility in matchmaking. Registry monitoring for watchlisted Latvian companies.
Update frequency: UR.gov.lv records update typically within one to five business days. Annual accounts availability varies by company. We poll daily.
Limitations: Annual report filing compliance in Latvia is lower than in Estonia and Finland, resulting in financial data gaps for some companies. Where balance sheet data is unavailable, the affected D3 sub-signals are imputed at neutral values. Imputation is flagged explicitly in every output where it applies.

Registrų Centras (Lithuania)

What it is: The Centre of Registers (Registrų centras) is the Lithuanian government authority responsible for maintaining the Register of Legal Entities, the authoritative database of all companies, branches, and other legal entities registered in Lithuania.
What we take from it: Company name, legal entity code, legal form, status, registered address, economic activity codes (NACE), annual financial statements, governing body members, shareholders, and change events.
Where it shows up: Financial Health (D3) and Corporate Structure (D4) of the readiness score. Company credibility in matchmaking. Registry monitoring for watchlisted Lithuanian companies.
Update frequency: Legal entity changes: typically one to five business days. Annual financial statements: Lithuanian companies file within three months (small entities) to four months (large entities) of year-end. We poll daily.
Limitations: Very small companies file abbreviated financial statements with limited detail. Lithuanian registry data requires additional normalisation in the pipeline compared to Estonian or Finnish equivalents, which can introduce a short processing delay for newly registered companies.