D-U-N-S Number as an international business identifier: why Ukrainian companies need it

Ukrainian companies that enter foreign markets, work with international corporations, investors, banks or participate in tenders are increasingly facing the need to have a business identifier that is understandable to the world. One such tool is the D-U-N-S Number — a unique nine-digit company number in the global Dun & Bradstreet system.

The D-U-N-S Number is used to identify a legal entity, compare data about a company, verify its corporate profile and its links with other market participants. For a foreign partner, the presence of such an identifier simplifies the initial verification of a counterparty and reduces the number of manual procedures.

For Ukrainian exporters, manufacturers, service providers, technology companies and enterprises planning to attract international financing, the D-U-N-S Number can become part of a broader infrastructure of trust. It does not replace financial reporting, audit or compliance, but it helps a company be visible in global business systems.

“For Ukrainian business, after the start of the full-scale war, the issue of trust became no less important than the issue of price or quality. A foreign partner needs to quickly understand whom they are dealing with. The D-U-N-S Number gives a company the opportunity to be recognizable in the international environment and reduces the barrier of first contact,” said Maksym Urakin, Director of Development and Marketing at Interfax-Ukraine, Head of the D&B-Interfax-Ukraine business unit, PhD in Economics.

According to him, for Ukraine’s recovery it is important that Ukrainian companies not only receive assistance, but also enter into international rules for working with data, transparency and counterparty verification.

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