1. Florian Kohler - FSO 3 May 2012 – Task Force on Material Flow Accounts
Estimation of trade flows in RME for Switzerland Preliminary results with EU27 coefficients
Florian Kohler - FSO 3 May 2012 – Task Force on Material Flow Accounts

2. The Swiss context
2010: 47% of the DMI is imported

3. The Swiss context  High interest to convert trade flows in RME
2010: 47% of the DMI is imported
Finished products represent an increasing share of the imports
 High interest to convert trade flows in RME

4. Data used for the preliminary estimates
Hybrid vector for imports or exports
Products: trade statistics in HS nomenclature
Energy: energy statistics
Services: monetary IOT (only 2001, 05 and 08)
RME coefficients
Eurostat coefficients for EU27 (state June 2011) for 52 raw material categories and 166 products for 2000 and 2005 (01-04 linear regression and equal to 05)
Correspondence table
Eurostat correspondence table CN  166 products adapted for the HS

5. Preliminary results
The imports in RME are more than three times higher than effective imports

6. Preliminary results
DMC = 12 tons per inhabitant, RMC = 16 tons per inhabitant Foreign DMC = 36 %, Foreign RMC = 51%
Note: services are included in the RMC only in 2001, 05 08

7. Preliminary results RMC shows bigger annual fluctuations than DMC
Note: services are included in the RMC only in 2001, 05 08

8. Preliminary results RMI is 66% of the TMR
Note: services are included in the RMC only in 2001, 05 08

9. About the method
The methodological approach can be implemented quite easily at national level also to estimate time series.
Because coefficients are evaluated for 166 products, the quality of correspondence table between CN (11’000 products) and these products is crucial.
The exclusion of the secondary metals (but also of all secondary materials) seems not easy and can have high impact on the results.
For some products national adaptations would be necessary (ex. for CH: electricity or jewellery/watches).

10. About the preliminary results
Comparing to other studies and the previous estimates of the TMR, results seem plausible but at this stage it is difficult to evaluate the quality of such estimates
High annual variations observed for RMC or RMI can be largely explained by variation in import/export of precious metals
These variations can hide the global trend

11. RME at national level ? To go beyond “one shot” pilot studies we need
to have a common methodological approach (“best practice”) to have comparable estimates between countries
that the methodological development of the chosen approach is maintained and insured centrally by Eurostat in partnership with NSIs
precise concepts, rules and guidelines to make, when necessary, national adaptation of the coefficients

12. Thanks for your attention