1. 1 Inter-agency Task Force on International Merchandise Trade Statistics* Beirut, 23-24 March 2010 3rd WPTGS meeting, OECD Paris, 4-6 October 2010 andreas.maurer@wto.org * ESCWA, Eurostat, FAO, ITC, OECD, UNSD, UNIDO, WCO, WTO

2. 2 For information only Decisions of other bodies (e.g. SC, CCSA, OECD WPTGS, …) Databases on International Trade Core: International standards, promotion and harmonization Concepts & Definitions Implementation and National Practices Priorities of Task Force Seminar: Globalization and Trade Trade and Business Register Trade and National Accounts Trade and Value Chain Linkages Agenda

3. 3 Decision of other bodies: Int’l. Trade Consultation (SC) Databases on International Trade  Shared data collection and processing  CDS – additional features? Concepts, Definitions and Methodology  SC 2009 approval of IMTS 2010  UNSD lead (roadmap) as basis for coordination  Advocacy of IOs Seminar: Globalization and Trade  How to adapt trade indicators to new realities … international fragmentation of production?  Link production and trade Highlights

4. 4 An analytical data set for all countries Inter-agency Common Data Set A collaborative project of Eurostat, OECD, UNSD, UNCTAD and WTO on total merchandise exports and imports by country according to international guidelines as specified in UNSD, IMTS, Rev.2

5. 5 Why?  Users face different values (revision cycles, adjustment, estimation) Objectives  Improve coverage and consistency  Provide national statistical offices as well as analysts, policy makers and other users easy access to analytically valuable data and metadata  For international organizations, allow for: o quality enhancement through reconciliation o specialization and work sharing (co-operation) at working level How does it work?  Distributed data ownership amongst agencies  Data reconciliation Inter-agency Common Data Set A collaborative effort of Eurostat, OECD, UNSD, UNCTAD and WTO

6. 6 CDS: PRODUCTION PROCESS Provision of data Eurostat (EU members), OECD (OECD countries excl. EU), UNCTAD (LDCs), UNSD, WTO Officially reported data and DPO’s estimates Data validation A co-ordinated by WTO Web dissemination CDS Layer 1: Officially reported data Reconciliation all, co-ordinated by WTO Problematic data Officially reported data Comments and proposed corrections Proposed adjustments and estimates Web dissemination CDS Layer 2: Reconciled data Agreed adjustments and estimates No dissemination Rejected adjustments and estimates Data validation B all  Online database Online database

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