Using WITSwith

UNCTAD

TRAINSTrade Analysis and Information System

Using WITSwith

UNCTAD

TRAINSTrade Analysis and Information System

For the DATA Day at WTOGeneva, May 18-19 2009

WITS vs TRAINS

WITS is a software application which is designed to integrate several trade-related databases and provide easy access

TRAINS is one of the four major databases currently accessible through WITS

Databases of WITS

• TRAINS (UNCTAD)

• COMTRADE (UN Statistics Division)

• Integrated Database (IDB-WTO)

• Consolidated Tariff Schedule (CTS-WTO)

Data Accessibility

• COMTRADE: Free access to International Organizations, others against a fee

• TRAINS: Access to governments and international and regional organizations, as well as to donors to TRAINS Trust Fund

• WTO: Access to WTO member governments and selected international organizations

Data contents of TRAINS (as of 1 May 2009)

Data contents of TRAINS (as of 1 May 2009)

• Tariff measures at national tariff line level for 165 countries (over 1000 country/years since 1988), including preferential rates such as RTA and GSP in many cases

Primary data are drawn from

UN TARMACUN Tariff and Market Access Database

A joint effort with the International Trade Centre, UNCTAD/WTO (ITC)

Data contents of TRAINS (continued)Data contents of TRAINS (continued)

• Import statistics by origin at Harmonized System (HS) 6-digit level for every country-year by constructing mirror imports where necessary

• Non-Tariff Measures classified according to UNCTAD Coding System of Trade Control Measures (97 countries, 150 country/years)

WITS Functionality

• Data retrieval and analysis

• Advanced query• Tariff Change Simulations• Trade Effect Simulation• Data Download (Quick Database Query)

Advanced Query

Users construct queries comprising of:

– Reporter countries – Products – Partner countries – Years

Advanced Query – Parameters

Reporter Countries– Individual countries or user-

defined groups of countriesProducts– Individual products or user-

defined aggregates of products in various product classifications (HS, SITC,ISIC, etc)

Advanced Query – Parameters

Partner Countries– Same as Reporter Countries.

“World” is treated as an individual country

Years – From 1988

Assumptions:

– Each product is independent– A same product from different supplier is

an imperfect substitute– Three sets of elasticties (Demand,

Supply and Substitution between two suppliers)

Trade Effects Simulation(Single market simulation model)

Advance Tariff Change Simulation(ATCS)

Apply tariff change formula to tariff schedules and assess impact on

Bound/Applied Rates

• Pre-defined or user-defined formula

• Multiple formula in terms of affected countries and products

Trade Effect Simulation(Single market simulation model)

- Trade Creation and Diversion effects- Tariff revenue effect- Welfare effect- Importer and Exporter Views

Data Download(Quick Database Query)

Download:

- Tariff schedules at tariff line level (TRL)

- Ad Valorem Equivalents at TRL- Import statistics at TRL- Non-Tariff Measures

By country, by year and by data type

CONTACT

Trade Information Section

UNCTAD/DITC/TAB

Palais des Nations

1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

E-mail: trains@unctad.org

Fax: +41 22 917 0044