OECD, Paris, May 2014
How to report BOP (QBOP & AITS) data to the OECD using SDMX
The aim of this document is to provide guidance on how to report Quarterly Balance of Payments and Annual
Trade in Services data to the OECD, using SDMX.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................... 1
SDMX MESSAGE FORMAT ...................................................................................................................................... 2
SDMX TRANSMISSION METHOD ............................................................................................................................. 2
SDMX-REFERENCE INFRASTRUCTURE (SDMX-RI) ............................................................................................... 2
SDMX CONTACTS .................................................................................................................................................... 3
TECHNICAL .......................................................................................................................................................... 3
SUBJECT-MATTER ............................................................................................................................................... 3
DATA FLOWS AND ASSOCIATED INFORMATION .................................................................................................... 3
INTRODUCTION
The SDMX (Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange) Data Structure Definition (and related documentation1)
for Balance of Payments (BOP-DSD), released on 1st October 2013 in its version 1.0_20130930, and updated to
V1.2_20140407 in April 2014, is the standard for the transmission of BOP statistics according to IMF-Balance of
Payment manual 6th Edition. It was prepared in close cooperation between Eurostat, ECB, IMF and OECD,
under the auspices of the SDMX technical Group on BOP-DSD.
The BOP-DSD is one of the key elements in the implementation of the SDMX standard in IT systems for the
compilation and the transmission of data to and between International Organisations (IOs).
BOP-DSD is now available on the SDMX global registry currently available on the IMF-Sandbox Registry
(https://registry.sdmx.org/content.html) which is where artefacts for global use are maintained The BOP Data
Structure Definition is structured as showed in Annex 1. It is composed of 16 dimensions and 13 attributes. A
detailed description of each dimension and attribute is included in the BOP-DSD Excel file and in the Guidelines
for Using BOP-DSD Concepts in Time Series Keys available on the SDMX website
http://sdmx.org/?page_id=1747. An Excel file including all BOP data requests of Eurostat, IMF and OECD
(BPM6_DATA_CODIFICATION.xls) can also be downloaded from this website. For more specific information on
the
OECD
BOP
dataflow,
please
refer
to
http://www.oecd.org/statistics/datacollection/internationaltrade.htm under “Target indicators”.
1
Guidelines for using BOP-DSD v1.1 and an Excel file including BOP data requests of Eurostat/ECB, IMF and
OECD (BPM6_DATA_CODIFICATION_V1.1.xls)
OECD, Paris, May 2014
D V1.1
SDMX MESSAGE FORMAT
The preferred SDMX format for data messages is SDMX-ML 2.0 Compact format. If this is not possible, SDMXML 2.1 Compact format is preferred. Less preferable are the other SDMX-ML 2.0/2.1 formats (Generic, Crossreference).
The OECD will accept other SDMX formats (EDI, V1.0), but data will take longer to process and OECD cannot
offer technical assistance.
SDMX TRANSMISSION METHOD
SDMX supports these methods of data transmission:



Pull method: The collector gets the data via a query
Push method: The publisher sends the data to the collector in files
Data hub: The Data-hub method acts as a central data repository. Publishers send data to the hub using
push or pull technologies. Collectors later retrieve the data from the hub repository.
The OECD’s preferred method for BOP data is :
 Pull from an SDMX web service conforming to the SDMX web service API standards at
http://sdmx.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/SDMX_2_1-SECTION_07_WebServicesGuidelines_201304.pdf
 Push: see the DATA FLOWS AND ASSOCIATED INFORMATION section for the mailbox where to send the
data
If implementing the pull method, the SDMX web service standards should be strongly adhered to. The SDMXReference Infrastructure software (SDMX-RI) is a practical way to implement the pull method while following
the standards with little or no development required. See the SDMX-REFERENCE INFRASTRUCTURE (SDMX-RI)
section below.
SDMX-REFERENCE INFRASTRUCTURE (SDMX-RI)
* The SDMX Reference Infrastructure (SDMX-RI) provides a free, open-source SDMX technical implementation.
It is a free-standing implementation that requires no development. The source code is also freely available and
the application may be customised if needed. It includes:


a SDMX web service used to query and disseminate data
a Mapping Assistant tool used to create mappings to transform data structures. It may be used to map
existing local data structures to SDMX Data Structure Definitions without having to change the local
structures
 Data connectors that link your existing Oracle or SQL Server database to the mappings and SDMX web
service
A typical implementation connects the SDMX-RI to the local dissemination data-warehouse, therefore as soon
as data is published through to the dissemination data-warehouse it is also available via the SDMX web service.
More details can be found here:
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/fpfis/mwikis/sdmx/index.php/SDMX_Reference_Infrastructure_SDMX-RI
OECD, Paris, May 2014
The OECD promotes and provides technical assistance for implementation of the SDMX Reference
Infrastructure (SDMX-RI) for its member countries.
SDMX CONTACTS
TECHNICAL
David Barraclough – David.barraclough@oecd.org
Marco Oksman – Marco.Oksman@oecd.org
SUBJECT-MATTER (BALANCE OF PAYMENTS)
Quarterly Balance of Payments (QBOP) Isaac Lagnado – Isaac.Lagnado@oecd.org
Annual International Trade in Services (AITS) Laura Thomson – Laura.thomson@oecd.org
OECD BOP DATA FLOWS AND ASSOCIATED INFORMATION
Countries willing to report BOP data to the OECD using SDMX should use the following dataflows:
Domain
DSD
Data flow ID
Data flow description
Push data
mailbox
Quarterly
Balance of
Payments
BOP-DSD
OECD_BPM6_BOP_Q
This dataflow includes
quarterly balance of
payments (including
seasonally adjusted
series) statistics to be
reported to the OECD
account.meid
oc@oecd.org
Annual
Trade in
Services
BOP-DSD
BPM6_ITS_A
This dataflow includes
annual international
trade in services by
partner country and
remittances statistics to
be reported to the
OECD.
STD.Servstat
@oecd.org
https://registry.sdmx.org
/content.html#
https://registry.sdmx.org
/content.html#
A detailed composition of the Annual Trade in Services request (the BPM6_ITS_A dataflow) including the
codification
of
series
according
to
the
BOP
DSD
is
available
at:
http://www.oecd.org/std/its/tradeinservicesquestionnaires.htm. (see very bottom of the page).
The detailed composition of the OECD quarterly BOP data flow is available here (see target indicators):
http://www.oecd.org/statistics/data-collection/internationaltrade.htm
OECD, Paris, May 2014
Annex 1: Structure of the BOP DSD
BOP Data Structure Definition - V1.2 - 7 April 2014
Dimensions
7
1.1
8
1.2
9
1.2
Concept
Mnemonic/Identifier
FREQ
ADJUSTMENT
REF_AREA
COUNTERPART_AR
EA
REF_SECTOR
COUNTERPART_SE
CTOR
FLOW_STOCK_ENT
RY
ACCOUNTING_ENT
RY
INT_ACC_ITEM
10
1.0
FUNCTIONAL_CAT Functional category
11
1.2
INSTR_ASSET
Position
1
2
3
Version
2.0
1.1
1.2
4
5
1.2
6
Concept Name
Frequency
Adjustment indicator
Reference country or area
Description
Frequency
Adjustment indicator
Reference country or area
Code List Mnemonic
CL_FREQ
CL_ADJUSTMENT
CL_AREA
Code List Name
Frequency code list
Adjustment code list
Area code list
Code Length
Fixed Length - A1
Variable Length - AN..2
Variable Length - AN..4
Maintenance Org (2)
SDMX
Eurostat
IMF
Counterpart Area
Counterpart Area
CL_AREA
Area code list
Variable Length - AN..4
IMF
Reference sector
Institutional sector in the Reference country or area
Counterpart institutional sector in the reporting
country or area
CL_SECTOR
Institutional sector code list
Variable Length - AN..7
Eurostat
CL_SECTOR
Institutional sector code list
Variable Length - AN..7
Eurostat
Flows and stocks indicator
CL_FSENTRY
Flow or stock entry code list
Variable Length - AN..3
IMF
CL_ACCOUNT_ENTRY
Accounting entry code list
Variable Length - AN..2
IMF
CL_ACCOUNTS_ITEM
Item classification code list
Variable Length - AN..8
IMF
Classification by functional of the financial investment CL_FUNCTIONAL_CAT
Functional category code list
Variable Length - AN..4
IMF
Breakdown by financial instruments and assets
CL_INSTR_ASSET
Financial instruments and assets
classification list
Variable Length - AN..7
Eurostat
CL_MATURITY
Maturity code list
Variable Length - AN..6
Eurostat
CL_UNIT
Variable Length - AN..3
IMF
Variable Length - AN..3
IMF
CL_VALUATION
Unit of measure code list
Currency of issuance or invoicing
code list
Valuation code list
Variable Length - AN..2
Eurostat
CL_COMP_METHOD
Compilation methodology code list
Fixed Length - A1
IMF
Counterpart sector
Flows and stocks indicator
Accounting entries
International accounts item
Instrument and assets
classification
12
1.2
MATURITY
13
1.1
14
1.1
15
1.0
UNIT_MEASURE
Unit of measure
CURRENCY_DENO
Currency of denomination
M
VALUATION
Valuation
Maturity
16
1.2
COMP_METHOD
Compiliation methodology
Types of accounting entries (i.e. credit, debit,
balance)
Item classification for international accounts statistics
Original maturity of financial instrument, combined
with remaining maturity
Unit of measure for reporting the time-series
Currency of issuance for financial items or invoicing
for goods and services
Price valuation
Identify the compilation methodology of otherwise
identical concepts
CL_CURRENCY
Attributes
Attachment Level
C/M (1)
Concept Mnemonic/Identifier Concept Name
Code List Mnemonic
Presentation Type
(Code list/Free Text)
Code Length
Maint. Org. (2)
Series
Observation
C
M
TIME_FORMAT
OBS_STATUS
Time format
Observation status
CL_TIME_FORMAT
CL_OBS_STATUS
Time Format code list
Observation status code list
Variable Length - AN..4
Fixed Length - A1
SDMX
SDMX
Observation
Observation
M
C
CONF_STATUS
PRE_BREAK_VALUE
Confidentiality status
Pre-break value
CL_CONF_STATUS
Uncoded
Confidentiality status code list
Free Text (up to 15 characters)
Fixed Length - A1
Free Text
SDMX
IMF
Observation
C
COMMENT_OBS
Comments to the observation value
Uncoded
Free Text (up to 4000 characters)
Free Text AN..4000
IMF
Series
C
COMMENT_TS
Title complement: Detailed description of the series
Uncoded
Free Text (up to 1050 characters)
Free Text - AN..1050
IMF
Series
C
TITLE
Short title
Uncoded
Free Text (up to 200 characters)
Free Text - AN..200
IMF
Series
M
UNIT_MULT
Unit multiplier
CL_UNIT_MULT
Unit multiplier code list
Variable Length - N..2
SDMX
Series
M
DECIMALS
Decimals
CL_DECIMALS
Decimals code list
Variable Length - N..2
SDMX
Series
M
TIME_PER_COLLECT
Time period collection
CL_TIME_COLLECT
Time period collection code list
Fixed Length - A1
IMF
Series
C
REF_PERIOD_DETAIL
Reference period detail
CL_REF_PERIOD_DTL
Reference period code list
Variable Length - AN..3
Eurostat
Series
C
COMPILING_ORG
Compiling organisation
CL_ORGANISATION
Compiling organisation code list
Variable Length - AN..4
IMF
Series
C
DATA_COMP
Underlying compilation
Uncoded
Free Text (up to 4000 characters)
Free Text - AN..4000
IMF