OECD
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT
ORGANISATION DE COOPÉRATION ET DE DEVELOPMENT ÉCONOMIQUES
OCDE
6 TH OECD INTERNATIONAL TRADE
STATISTICS EXPERT MEETING (ITS)
OECD Pilot Questionnaire to Non-EU
Countries on Linking Business and
Trade Statistics
-Key findings and a Proposal-
STATISTICS DIRECTORATE –
INTERNATIONAL TRADE &
STRUCTURAL BUSINESS STATISTICS 1

WHY?
• Increasingly interconnected, global economies
• How to “connect” economic performance indicators with trade activities?
•
Two different statistical worlds (product vs. economic activity)
• Central issue: classify trade operators according to enterprise/establishment characteristics
• Register links and (common) identifiers are the key
STATISTICS DIRECTORATE -
INTERNATIONAL TRADE &
STRUCTURAL BUSINESS STATISTICS
2

• Eurostat has pioneered in this respect and is already tackling the subsequent phases of the project started some 5(?) years ago
• To be consistent, OECD has aligned the questionnaire with Eurostat’s, but shortened it considerably as a first step
STATISTICS DIRECTORATE -
INTERNATIONAL TRADE &
STRUCTURAL BUSINESS STATISTICS
3

• 8 out of 11 Non-EU OECD countries replied
(responses are attached in full in document
STD/NAE/TASS/ITS(2005)14
• 6 countries have a trade register, which is rather a database than a formal register
• From those 2 countries which answered
“no”, Australia stated having no access to the customs register, but to some information on traders
STATISTICS DIRECTORATE -
INTERNATIONAL TRADE &
STRUCTURAL BUSINESS STATISTICS
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• The trade register is, besides the customs declarations, updated for a majority of countries through the Business Register
• Enterprises, establishments and legal units are the reference units used
• Links from the BR to Customs forms/register: Almost all countries can link the statistical unit to customs forms or trade registers
STATISTICS DIRECTORATE -
INTERNATIONAL TRADE &
STRUCTURAL BUSINESS STATISTICS
5

• Links form Customs forms/Registers to the
BR: mixed picture. The matching can be labour-intensive and double-counting can not be excluded
• Different languages complicate matching
• Tax register could in some cases offer the link, but is seems that the use of the existing BR code is crucial
STATISTICS DIRECTORATE -
INTERNATIONAL TRADE &
STRUCTURAL BUSINESS STATISTICS
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• Matching quality: the quality can be very good for exports, reaching up to 98%, but is more difficult to reach for importers.
• The issue of residence and the impact of multinationals obscure the picture.
• This makes it all the more important to find new approaches to basic unit definitions and standard naming (coding) conventions
STATISTICS DIRECTORATE -
INTERNATIONAL TRADE &
STRUCTURAL BUSINESS STATISTICS
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• Would these countries be wiling to go further together with OECD in this field? Canada, Iceland, Turkey, and possibly Norway would. OECD would also ask the United States and
Australia to join in.
• OECD would ensure full consistency and data exchange with Eurostat
STATISTICS DIRECTORATE -
INTERNATIONAL TRADE &
STRUCTURAL BUSINESS STATISTICS
8

Based upon these encouraging first results, OECD proposes to
• Work together with Non-EU OECD countries to identify the scope and timetable for development of selected “trade and production indicators” which would be useful for international economic analysis.
• Set up, together with those countries having expressed the willingness to be part of this scoping exercise, a small Steering Group for designing the roadmap and deliverables.
STATISTICS DIRECTORATE -
INTERNATIONAL TRADE &
STRUCTURAL BUSINESS STATISTICS
9

• Report progress made to the OECD Committee for
Statistics, the CES, UNSD and other bodies.
• Find a convenient solution for data sharing amongst authorized participants
• Liaise very closely with Eurostat in this field for the mutual benefit. The basic idea is to coordinate and exchange data and findings across OECD countries with Eurostat being responsible for the
EU states and OECD for those of its member countries outside the EU
STATISTICS DIRECTORATE -
INTERNATIONAL TRADE &
STRUCTURAL BUSINESS STATISTICS
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INTERNATIONAL TRADE &
STRUCTURAL BUSINESS STATISTICS
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