Compilation of External Trade Statistics by Enterprise Characteristics: Progress Report Karo Nuortila European Commission/DG Eurostat/ Unit G3 International Trade Statistics - Production

Structural Business Statistics and Statistics on Trading of Goods in European Statistical System Structural Business Statistics (SBS) describe the structure and evolution of activities of businesses Annual statistics with a great number of variables No data on external trade Statistics on trading of goods describe trade flows between countries with a breakdown of products Monthly statistics with detailed breakdowns of products and partner countries No data on traders

How combined trade and business statistics can be compiled? Solution: link trade registers with business register Benefits: No additional burden on data providers The link exists already (required by Business Register Regulation) Detailed level of trade data can be maintained The most important economic variables available (activity, number of employees, turnover) Drawback: Burden on data compilers The method focuses on trade variables and basic enterprise characteristics; more in-depth analysis from the viewpoint of SBS is limited unless a further linkage is made to SBS micro data

Standardisation Exercise A common pilot study in the frame of Edicom II program ( ) Methodology and indicators developed by Eurostat Task Force ”Trade Registers/Globalisation” since late 1990’s Objectives : To test the feasibility of matching business and trade registers To reconcile trade flows according to enterprise characteristics coherently

Standardisation Exercise Method: Linkage of micro data at national level: identification code of trade register linked with identification code of business register 4 populations: intra-EU arrivals and dispatches, extra-EU imports and exports Statistical unit: Enterprise Trade data is reconciled according to enterprise characteristics Aggregated results (no micro data) delivered to Eurostat Eurostat processes and publishes harmonised data

First Study Reference year 1999 Data collection February – June 2003 Datasets Matching rates between trade and business registers Trade by size-classes (number of employees) Trade by activity sectors (NACE) and size-classes (number of employees) Concentration of trade (CPA product classes) Trade by activity sectors (NACE) and products (CPA) Trade by activity sectors (NACE) and partner countries 9 Member States participated Results published on Eurostat website in 2004 (working paper) Some problems with data => only the main results published in relative terms (shares of total trade)

Second Study Reference year 2002 Data collection March – September 2005 Changes in methodology: Same datasets as in the 1st study Data requested also in terms of number of enterprises Revised geographical breakdown (new EU Member States included) More specific processing rules 17 Member States and 1 Efta country participated Results published on Eurostat website in July 2006 (working paper) Absolute figures published at detailed level (trade value and number of enterprises) Some problems with confidential data and complicated indicators

Standardisation Exercise – Matching rates in 2005 exercise

Third Study 2006 Reference year 2003 (2004 too complicated because of the EU enlargement in May 2004) Data collection on-going Changes in methodology: Simplification and harmonisation of datasets and breakdowns No overlapping data requests New indicator for trade concentration (top enterprises’ contribution to trade) Better measurement of geographical allocation of trade Further specifications to processing rules

Way forward Collect data annually on voluntarily basis Set up legal basis New Extrastat Regulation under preparation Proposal to include an article on trade statistics by enterprise characteristics Globalisation indicators in trade statistics Trade of multinational enterprise groups