OECD Statistics Directorate Andreas.Lindner@oecd

STD/PASS/TAGS – Trade and Globalisation StatisticsSTD/PASS/TAGS – Trade and Globalisation StatisticsSTD/SES/TAGS – Trade and Globalisation StatisticsSTD/SES/TAGS – Trade and Globalisation Statistics

International Organisations’ co-International Organisations’ co-operation and its impact on data operation and its impact on data

consistency in dissemination: where consistency in dissemination: where should users look for what?should users look for what?

OECD Statistics [email protected]

AgendaAgendaItem : 3.5.Item : 3.5.AgendaAgendaItem : 3.5.Item : 3.5.

STD/SES/TAGS; 2STD/SES/TAGS; 2ndnd WPTGS Meeting 16.-18.11.2009, Paris WPTGS Meeting 16.-18.11.2009, Paris


OutlineOutline

1. A wealth of international databases2. A compendium is available of what IO’s offer

for what type of analytical question3. How could users more easily find what they

are looking for? Across IO’s!4. How could data consistency across IO’s be

further improved? 5. How could data access be further

rationalised and facilitated? 6. WPTGS delegates’ views are invited

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A wealth of international A wealth of international databasesdatabases

• It is well known that IO co-operate very closely on trade statistics, BOP, Globalisation Indicators (e.g. through Task Forces, UN expert meetings, OECDs WPTGS, etc.)

• WTO organised this May a “Data Day” which presented a summary of internationally available trade data and a description of tools

• But the question remains where a user could easily– Find the information he/she is looking for– Know what can be found– Be ensured that the data obtained is probably the best one could

find (= non-contradictory with another international data source)• …these were the questions several users asked at the WTO

Data Day

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Where to access these Where to access these databases?databases?

• All International Organisations involved in dissemination of trade data ( both merchandise trade and trade in services), BOP, Trade Indicators and market access data for policy makers, have compiled – A short, but exhaustive, compendium of data bases,

including a summary description of content– The functionalities and tools to access and

interactively work on data– The Web address

• This compendium is available at the WTO website of the Data Day as PDF document at

http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/data_day_may09_e/brochure_dataday_may09_e.pdf

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……including a useful synopsis including a useful synopsis (excerpt):(excerpt):

Structure: Organization -Title –Section- URL- Contact • OECD Trade by Enterprise Characteristics (TEC) Trade http://www.olis.oecd.org/olis/2008doc.nsf/linkTo/std-

ses-wptgs(2008)12 Contact: [email protected]

• OECD International Trade Indicators (TIP) Trade http://www.oecd.org/std/its/tradeindicators Contact: [email protected]

• UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database (UN Comtrade) Trade

http://comtrade.un.org/db/ Contact: [email protected] • UNSD OECD Joint Trade Data Collection and Processing System Trade

http://www.oecd.int/olishdweb/oecd_unsd/trade/Default.aspx Contact: [email protected] • UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics Trade http://stats.unctad.org/handbook/ReportFolders/ReportFolders.aspx?

CS_referer=&CS_ChosenLang=en Contact: [email protected]

• World Bank World Trade Indicators Trade http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/TRADE/0,,contentMDK:21393040~pagePK:210058~piPK:210062~theSitePK:239071,00.html -

• WTO Common Data Set (CDS) Trade http://imts.wto.org/common_dataset_e.htm Contact: [email protected]

• WTO International Trade Statistics report Trade http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/its2008_e/its08_toc_e.htm Con tact: [email protected]

• WTO Trade Profiles Trade http://stat.wto.org/CountryProfile/WSDBCountryPFHome.aspx?Language=E Contact: [email protected]

• WTO Online Statistics Database Trade http://stat.wto.org/Home/WSDBHome.aspx?Language=E Contact: [email protected]

• World Bank Brandeis University Global Antidumping Database Non-tariff measures http://people.brandeis.edu/~cbown/global_ad/ Contact: [email protected]

• WTO Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures – Information Management System (SPS-IMS) Non-tariff measures, Agriculture specific issues http://spsims.wto.org/ Contact: [email protected]

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This compendium (called This compendium (called “Background Document”)“Background Document”)

• Is to our knowledge the most complete compilation of trade and associated data dissemination across IO’s

• Reflects the specialties of IO’s • But does not address, of course, the issue of

data consistency across IO’s• Nor does it facilitate easy retrieval, since

organised by data base• These two issues will be shortly addressed in

the following

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IO’s Co-operation does not IO’s Co-operation does not necessarily mean data consistencynecessarily mean data consistency

• The only truly harmonised data set across IO’s is detailed merchandise trade (COMTRADE-type). Why?– Through a MoU, OECD feeds all OECD countries into COMTRADE

(70% of world trade)– Both UNSD and OECD have agreed on detailed processing routines– Both organisations share the same, jointly developed, computer system

• Sequence: OECD=> UNSD => WTO• The data “vintage” is the same and highly aligned, consistent

statistics are re-disseminated world-wide• A similar, concerted approach is the “CDS=Common Data Set”

hosted by WTO, in which adjusted, reconciled merchandise trade totals are made available to the public. The CDS is fed by UNSD, OECD, FAO, Eurostat, and WTO and contains original and adjusted aggregates

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Considerable data discrepancies across Considerable data discrepancies across IO’s persist for Trade in ServicesIO’s persist for Trade in Services

• Despite efforts of reconciliation and data sharing, the outcomes still are to be better aligned

• The present data sharing model:• Eurostat => OECD & UNSD, OECD adds Non-EU OECD =>

UNSD & Eurostat

• The most likely cause for discrepancies are “vintage” differences in IO’s, but also slightly different details

• Framework not 100% aligned ( as with merchandise trade)

• OECD and UNSD have agreed to extend their MoU on Merchandise Trade also to Trade in Services

• The Task Force on TIS has been asked to look into this question across IO’s and to propose solutions

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RetrievalRetrieval

• The WTO background document (compendium) provides an excellent starting point for a more integrated and “easy to understand” presentation of international trade and trade-related indicators databases for users world-wide

• It could be envisaged to transform it into a standard reference and query tool for users by – Using a standard thematic structure for all IO’s – Advise for which type of needs a database would be appropriate– Live links to databases, possibility of multiple choice per theme

across IO’s • Such a tool could be included in each participating

organisations’ trade statistics main website and result in a “all at your fingertips” data access, including all other IO’s willing to participate

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Questions to WPTGS delegates:Questions to WPTGS delegates:

• Concerning different data values published by the IO’s, what is your point of view?– A necessary nuisance?– Should be eliminated to the extend possible?– If the latter, any pragmatic proposal?

• Concerning the data retrieval across IO’s :– Would you be interested in having such a tool, be it

for your service or for user requests?– Would you support such an initiative of re-grouping

all available databases through a dedicated dynamic link on each IO’s website, but accessing all other IO’s using a standard thematic structure?

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Thank you for your attention!Thank you for your attention!

[email protected]

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Documents

OECD Statistics Directorate Andreas.Lindner@oecd