Guide to Foreign Trade Statistics
Description of the Foreign Trade Statistical Program
CONTENTS
- Authority
- Source of Information
- Coverage
- Statistical Month
- Merchandise Trade Balance
- Seasonal Adjustment
- Constant Dollar Adjustment
- Valuation
- Commodity Classifications
- Country Designations
- Quantity and Shipping Weight
- Customs Districts
- State Export Data Series
- Low-Valued Statistics
- Transportation Statistics
- U.S. Trade With Puerto Rico and U.S. Posessions
- Sources of Nonsampling Error
- Other Quality Issues
- Revision Procedure for Merchandise Goods Trade
- Sources of Further Information About the Foreign
trade Statistics
The legal authority for the collection and publication of U.S. foreign
commerce and trade statistics is established by Title 13, Chapter 9; and
Title 18, Section 1905 of the United States Code (USC), and by regulatory
mandate in Title 15 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 30.90-30.91.
Title 13 directs the Secretary of Commerce to collect, compile, and publish
foreign trade statistics on a monthly and cumulative basis.
2. SOURCE OF INFORMATION
Exports
Information on U.S. exports of merchandise from the U.S. to all countries,
except Canada, is compiled from copies of Shipper's Export Declarations
(SEDs) and SED data from qualified exporters, forwarders, or carriers.
Copies of SED's are required to be filed with Customs officials at the
port of export. The SED is unique among Census Bureau forms since it is
not sent to respondents soliciting responses as in the case of surveys.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection initially collects the SED at the
port of export and subsequently transmits it to the Census Bureau. Each
SED represents a shipment of one or more kinds of merchandise from one
exporter to one foreign importer on a single carrier. Filing the SED is
mandatory under Chapter 9, Title 13, United States Code. Qualified exporters,
forwarders, or carriers submit SED data by automated means directly to
the U.S. Census Bureau.
The United States is substituting Canadian import statistics for U.S.
exports to Canada in accordance with a 1987 Memorandum of Understanding
signed by the Census Bureau, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Canadian
Customs, and Statistics Canada. Similarly, under this Memorandum of Understanding,
Canada is substituting U.S. import statistics for Canadian exports to
the United States. This data exchange includes only U.S. exports destined
for Canada and does not include shipments destined for third countries
by routes passing through Canada or shipments of certain grains and oilseeds
to Canada for storage prior to exportation to a third country. These shipments
are reported on and compiled from SED's.
Department of Defense Military Assistance Program Grant-Aid shipments
being transported as Department of Defense cargo are reported directly
to the U.S. Census Bureau by the Department of Defense.
Imports
Published information on U.S. imports of merchandise is compiled primarily
from automated data submitted through the U.S. Customs' Automated Commercial
System. Data are compiled also from import entry summary forms, warehouse
withdrawal forms and Foreign Trade Zone documents as required by law to
be filed with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Data on imports
of electricity and natural gas from Canada are obtained from Canadian
sources.
3. COVERAGE
General
The official U.S. import and export statistics reflect both government
and nongovernment shipments of merchandise between foreign countries and
the U.S. Customs Territory (the 50 States, District of Columbia, and Puerto
Rico), U.S. Foreign Trade Zones, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, without
regard to whether or not a commercial transaction is involved. In general,
the statistics record the physical movement of merchandise between the
United States and foreign countries.
The statistics used to compile the merchandise trade balance exclude
the following types of transactions:
United States trade with U.S. possessions, trade between U.S. possessions,
and trade between U.S. possessions and foreign countries (except Puerto
Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
Merchandise shipped in transit through the United States from one foreign
country to another.
Shipments to the U.S. Armed Forces, including post exchanges, for their
own use, as well as U.S. merchandise returned by the U.S. Armed Forces
for their own use.
Monetary gold and silver.
Issued monetary coins (in current circulation) of all component metals.
Bunker fuels and other supplies and equipment for use on departing vessels,
planes, or other carriers engaged in foreign trade.
Shipments of furniture, equipment and supplies to U.S. government agencies
as well as such merchandise when returned to the United States.
Imports of articles repaired under warranty.
Some other transactions not considered to be of statistical importance,
such as shipments of personal and household effects of travelers and certain
temporary exports and imports.
Exports
Exports measure the total physical movement of merchandise out of the
United States to foreign countries whether such merchandise is exported
from within the U.S. Customs territory or from a U.S. Customs bonded warehouse
or a U.S. Foreign Trade Zone. The following are examples of some types
of shipments which are included in the statistics but are of such a nature
that their inclusion merits separate mention:
Department of Defense Military Assistance Program Grant-Aid shipments
under the Foreign Assistance Act.
Foreign military sales.
Shipments of commodities for economic assistance under the Foreign Assistance
Act. (Totals for exports under this program are published quarterly or
as they become available.)
Shipments of agricultural commodities under P.L. 480 (Agricultural Trade
Development and Assistance Act of 1954) as amended, and related laws.
(Totals for exports under this program are published as the data become
available from the Department of Agriculture. Additional information may
be obtained from the Economic Research Service of the Department of Agriculture.)
Sales of U.S. vessels to purchasers in foreign countries.
Satellites launched by U.S. space vehicles limited to: (1) foreign origin,
and/or; (2) launched on behalf of international organizations.
Domestic Exports
Exports of domestic merchandise include commodities which are grown,
produced or manufactured in the United States, and commodities of foreign
origin which have been changed in the United States, including U.S. Foreign
Trade Zones, from the form in which they were imported, or which have
been enhanced in value by further manufacture in the United States.
Foreign Exports (Re-exports)
Exports of foreign merchandise (re-exports), consist of commodities
of foreign origin which have entered the United States for consumption
or into Customs bonded warehouses or U.S. Foreign Trade Zones, and which,
at the time of exportation, are in substantially the same condition as
when imported.
Imports
Imports of merchandise include commodities of foreign origin as well
as goods of domestic origin returned to the United States with no change
in condition or after having been processed and/or assembled in other
countries. (See discussion of American Goods Returned After Processing
And/Or Assembly below).
For statistical purposes, imports are classified by the type of transaction.
Merchandise entered for immediate consumption. ("duty free"
merchandise and merchandise on which duty is paid on arrival)
Merchandise withdrawn for consumption from Customs bonded warehouses,
and U.S. Foreign Trade Zones.
Merchandise entered into Customs bonded warehouses and U.S. Foreign Trade
Zones from foreign countries.
Bonded Warehouses
Bonded warehouses are authorized by U.S. Customs for storage or manufacturing
of goods on which payment of duties is deferred until the goods are removed
into Customs Territory. These goods are not subject to duties if reshipped
to foreign points.
Foreign Trade Zones
Foreign Trade Zones are enclosed areas, operated as public utilities,
under control of U.S. Customs with facilities for handling, storing, manipulating,
manufacturing, and exhibiting goods. The merchandise may be exported,
destroyed, or sent into Customs territory from the zone, in the original
package or otherwise. It is subject to Customs duties if sent into Customs
territory, but not if reshipped to foreign points.
American Goods Returned After Processing
and/or Assembly
Domestically produced goods are shipped from the United States to other
countries for processing and/or assembly and then returned to this country.
Imports containing U.S. content which qualify for special duty-free treatment
on the U.S. portion fall into the following groups:
Articles of metal manufactured in the United States, which were exported
for further processing abroad and returned to the United States for more
processing.
Textile articles assembled abroad and entered under a Special Access
Program or Special Regime.
Articles assembled abroad from components produced in the United States,
except textile articles entered under a Special Access Program or Special
Regime.
Separate statistics are available on American goods returned after processing
and/or assembly abroad.
General Imports
"General Imports" measure the total physical arrivals of merchandise
from foreign countries, whether such merchandise enters consumption channels
immediately or is entered into bonded warehouses or Foreign Trade Zones
under Customs custody.
Imports for Consumption
"Imports for Consumption" measure the total of merchandise
that has physically cleared through Customs either entering consumption
channels immediately or entering after withdrawal for consumption from
bonded warehouses under Customs custody or from Foreign Trade Zones. Many
countries use the term "special imports" to designate statistics
compiled on this basis.
4. STATISTICAL MONTH
The month of importation is the month in which the U.S. Customs and
Border Protection releases the merchandise to the importer.
The month of exportation is based on the date when the merchandise leaves
the United States. (For vessel or air shipments, it is the date when the
carrier departs or is cleared from the port of export.)
5. MERCHANDISE TRADE BALANCE
The merchandise trade balance represents the difference between U.S.
exports based on F.A.S. values and U.S. general imports based on Customs
values. (See discussion of Valuation below.)
This balance corresponds to a measurement of the international payments
or credit flows resulting from the physical movement of goods between
the U.S. and foreign countries. Monthly balances are based on seasonally
adjusted data.
6. SEASONAL ADJUSTMENT
The Census Bureau is seasonally adjusting the merchandise trade data
at the most detailed end-use level possible. These detailed data are then
summed to the 1-digit level for release with the monthly merchandise trade
totals.
The seasonally adjusted data are also provided to the Bureau of Economic
Analysis (BEA) for use in compiling the quarterly National Income and
Product Accounts (NIPAS). The BEA supplements these data in the NIPAs
with quarterly adjustments for six of the end-use categories which exhibit
seasonality on a quarterly basis but not on a monthly basis.
The 1-digit level end-use categories provide data for the following
broad aggregates: (1) Foods, feeds, and beverages ; (2) Industrial supplies
and materials; (3) Capital goods, except automotives; (4) Automotive vehicles,
parts and engines; (5) Consumer goods (nonfood), except auto; and (6)
Other merchandise. This seasonal adjustment procedure is designed to reflect
seasonal patterns at the most detailed commodity levels. The adjustment
is made at that end-use commodity level for which significant stable seasonality
is identified.
The use of the end-use commodity classification system for seasonal
adjustment ensures methodological consistency with the quarterly adjusted
balance of trade data published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
and reflects the BEA coding descriptions which combine data into broad
categories based upon principal uses of the commodities.
The Summary of U.S. Export and Import Merchandise Trade (FT 900) for
each month includes revisions for carryover to the prior month's aggregate
unadjusted and seasonally adjusted (current and constant dollar) export,
import and trade balance figures as well as to the end-use totals. These
revisions do not appear in other foreign trade reports.
Tables of the seasonal factors are available free of charge from the
Foreign Trade Division (FTD). Additionally, interested data users may
contact the FTD for
more detailed information about the seasonal adjustment program.. Historical
data as well as the detailed unadjusted and adjusted data are available
on a cost basis on either hard copy or diskette.
7. CONSTANT DOLLAR
ADJUSTMENT
The U.S. Census Bureau began publishing seasonally adjusted constant
dollar merchandise trade data in January 1990. The constant dollar series
was created to meet the requirements of the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness
Act of 1988. Census replaced its fixed-weighted constant dollar series
with a chained-dollar series with the release of the April 2003 issue
of the U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services (FT-900), on June
13, 2003. We adopted this methodology to improve the quality of the constant
dollar series and for consistency with other official government statistics
released by the Department of Commerce. Users are reminded, however, that
the Census constant dollar series will not match BEA’s constant
dollar series because of the underlying coverage differences between the
current dollar NIPA and Census data.
A technical paper is available to explain more about the new series and
the differences between the real dollar data produced by the two methodologies.
Look on the Foreign Trade Division’s Web site at www.census.gov/foreign-trade/aip/priceadj.html
or contact the Special Projects Branch of the Foreign Trade Division on
(301)763-3251.
8. VALUATION
Customs Import Value
The Customs value is the value of imports as appraised by the U.S. Customs
and Border Protection in accordance with the legal requirements of the
Tariff Act of 1930, as amended. This value is generally defined as the
price actually paid or payable for merchandise when sold for exportation
to the United States, excluding U.S. import duties, freight, insurance,
and other charges incurred in bringing the merchandise to the United States.
The term "price actually paid or payable" means the total payment
(whether direct or indirect, and exclusive of any costs, charges, or expenses
incurred for transportation, insurance, and related services incident
to the international shipment of the merchandise from the country of exportation
to the place of importation in the United States) made, or to be made,
for imported merchandise by the buyer to, or for the benefit, of the seller.
In the case of transactions between related parties, the relationship
between buyer and seller should not influence the Customs value.
In those instances where assistance was furnished to a foreign manufacturer
for use in producing an article which is imported into the United States,
the value of the assistance is required to be included in the value reported
for the merchandise. Such "assists" include both tangible and
intangible assistance, such as machinery, tools, dies and molds, blue
prints, copyrights, research and development, and engineering and consulting
services. If the value of these "assists" is identified and
separately reported, it is subtracted from the value during statistical
processing. However, where it is not possible to isolate the value of
"assists", they are included. In these cases the unit values
may be increased due to the inclusion of such "assists".
Import Charges
The import charges represent the aggregate cost of all freight, insurance,
and other charges (excluding U.S. import duties) incurred in bringing
the merchandise from alongside the carrier at the port of exportation
in the country of exportation and placing it alongside the carrier at
the first port of entry in the United States. In the case of overland
shipments originating in Canada or Mexico, such costs include freight,
insurance, and all other charges, costs and expenses incurred in bringing
the merchandise from the point of origin (where the merchandise begins
its journey to the United States) in Canada or Mexico to the first port
of entry.
C.I.F. Import Value
The C.I.F. (cost, insurance, and freight) value represents the landed
value of the merchandise at the first port of arrival in the United States.
It is computed by adding "Import Charges" to the "Customs
Value" (see definitions above) and therefore excludes U.S. import
duties.
Dutiable Value of Imports
and Calculated Duty
The "dutiable value" represents, in general, the Customs value
of foreign merchandise imported into the United States which is subject
to duty. The "Calculated duty" represents the estimated import
duties collected. Estimated duties are calculated based on the applicable
rate(s) of duty as shown in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United
States Annotated for Statistical Reporting Purposes. See
Section 6 (Reference Aids) of this Guide for a list of rate provision
codes which indicate the free or dutiable status of merchandise imported
into the United States.
F.A.S. Export Value (Excluding
Exports to Canada)
The F.A.S. (free alongside ship) value is the value of exports at the
U.S. seaport, airport, or border port of export, based on the transaction
price, including inland freight, insurance, and other charges incurred
in placing the merchandise alongside the carrier at the U.S. port of exportation.
The value, as defined, excludes the cost of loading the merchandise aboard
the exporting carrier and also excludes freight, insurance, and any charges
or transportation costs beyond the port of exportation.
U.S. Exports to Canada
The use of Canada's import data to produce U.S. export data requires
some adjustments to make the two comparable.
U.S. exports are valued at the U.S. seaport, airport, or border port
of export in the U.S. and include inland freight charges. Canadian imports
are valued at the point of origin in the U.S. and do not include inland
freight to the U.S. port of exit. To compensate, Canada adds an estimated
4.5 percent of the value to each transaction to cover inland freight (except
for shipments where freight is not a consideration, e.g., large aircraft,
vessels and drilling platforms.)
Average monthly exchange rates as quoted by the Federal Reserve Board
are applied to adjust the Canadian import data to U.S. dollars. A formula
for converting U.S. total exports to corresponding Canadian imports is
provided in the initial release of the statistics (FT 900) along with
the monthly conversion rate.
Balance of Payments (BOP) Basis
Goods on a Census basis are adjusted by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
to goods on a BOP basis to bring the data in line with the concepts and
definitions used to prepare the international and national accounts. Broadly,
the adjustments include changes in ownership that occur without goods
passing into or out of the customs territory of the United States. These
adjustments are necessary to supplement coverage of the Census basis data,
to eliminate duplication of transactions recorded elsewhere in the international
accounts, and to value transactions according to a standard definition.
The export adjustments include:
-
U.S. military sales contracts - This deduction of U.S. military sales
contracts is made because the U.S. Census Bureau has included these
contracts in the goods data, but BEA includes them in the service
category "Transfers Under U.S. Military Sales Contracts."
BEA's source material for these contracts is more comprehensive, but
has no distinction between goods and services.
-
Private gift parcels - This addition is made for parcels mailed to
foreigners by individuals through the U.S. Postal Service. (Only commercial
shipments are covered in Census goods exports.)
-
Gold exports, nonmonetary - This addition is made for gold that is
purchased by foreign official agencies from private dealers in the
United States and held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The
Census data only include gold that leaves the customs territory.
Some smaller adjustments are also made to exports: Deductions for repairs
of goods, developed motion picture film, and military grant-aid. Additions
for sales of fish in U.S. territorial waters, exports of electricity to
Mexico, and vessels and oil rigs that change ownership for which no export
document is filed.
The import adjustments include:
-
Inland freight in Canada - An addition is made for inland freight
in Canada. Imports of goods from all countries are valued at the foreign
port of export, including inland freight charges ("customs value").
In the case of Canada, this should be the cost of the goods at the
U.S. border. However, the customs value for imports for certain Canadian
goods is the point of origin in Canada. The BEA makes an addition
for the inland freight charges of transporting these Canadian goods
to the U.S. border to make the value comparable to the customs value
as reported by all other countries. Insurance and freight charges
for transporting goods to the United States from all other countries
to the U.S. border are included in services by the BEA. (The same
procedure is used for Mexico as an Other Adjustment, but is much smaller.)
-
Gold imports, nonmonetary - This addition is made for gold sold by
foreign official agencies to private purchasers out of stock held
at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The Census data only include
gold that enters the customs territory.
-
Imports by U.S. military agencies - This deduction of U.S. military
sales contracts is made because the U.S. Census Bureau has included
these contracts in the goods data, but BEA includes them in the service
category "Direct Defense Expenditures." BEA's source material
is more comprehensive, but has no distinction between goods and services.
Some smaller adjustments are also made to imports: Deductions for repairs
of goods, and developed motion picture film. Additions for imported electricity
from Mexico, conversion of vessels for commercial use, repairs to U.S.
vessels abroad, and valuation of prepackaged software imports at market
value.
Services
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis collects and compiles U.S. services
import and export statistics. The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau
of Economic Analysis combined goods and services into one report and began
publishing a joint monthly press release, titled U.S. International Trade
In Goods and Services report (FT900), in January 1994. The services statistics
are estimates of services transactions between foreign countries and the
50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands,
and other U.S. territories and possessions. Transactions with U.S. military,
diplomatic, and consular installations abroad are excluded because they
are considered to be part of the U.S. economy.
Services are shown in seven broad categories. Types of services for imports
and exports are the same for six of the seven categories. For the seventh,
exports is "Transfers Under U.S. Military Sales Contracts" while
for imports the category is "Direct Defense Expenditures." The
following is a brief description of the types of services included in
each category:
-
Travel - Purchases of services and goods by U.S. travelers abroad
and by foreign visitors to the United States. A traveler is defined
as a person who stays for a period of less than 1 year in a country
of which the person is not a resident.
Includes expenditures for food, lodging, recreation, gifts, and other
items incidental to a foreign visit.
-
Passenger Fares - Fares paid by residents of one country to residents
of other countries. Receipts consist of fares received by U.S. carriers
from foreign residents for travel between the United States and foreign
countries and between two foreign points.
Payments consist of fares paid by U.S. residents to foreign carriers
for travel between the United States and foreign countries.
-
Other Transportation - Charges for the transportation of goods by
ocean, air, waterway, pipeline, and rail carriers to and from the
United States. Includes freight charges, operating expenses that transportation
companies incur in foreign ports, and payments for vessel charter
and aircraft rentals with crew.
-
Royalties and License Fees - Transactions with foreign residents
involving intangible assets and proprietary rights, such as the use
of patents, techniques, processes, formulas, designs, know-how, trademarks,
copyrights, franchises, and manufacturing rights. The term "royalties"
generally refers to payments for the utilization of copyrights or
trademarks, and the term "license fees" generally refers
to payments for the use of patents or industrial processes.
- Other Private Services - Transactions with affiliated foreigners,
for which no identification by type is available, and of transactions
with unaffiliated foreigners. (The term "affiliated" refers
to a direct investment relationship, which exists when a U.S. person
has ownership or control, directly or indirectly, of 10 percent or more
of a foreign business enterprise's voting securities or the equivalent,
or when a foreign person has a similar interest in a U.S. enterprise.)
Transactions with unaffiliated foreigners consist of education services;
financial services (includes commissions and other transactions fees
associated with the purchase and sale of securities and noninterest
income of banks, and excludes investment income); insurance services;
telecommunications services (includes transmission services and value-added
services); and business, professional, and technical services. Included
in the last group are advertising services; computer and data processing
services; database and other information services; research, development,
and testing services; management, consulting, and public relations
services; legal services; construction, engineering, architectural,
and mining services; industrial engineering services; installation,
maintenance, and repair of equipment; and other services, including
medical services and film and tape rentals.
-
Transfers Under U.S. Military Sales Contracts (Exports only) - Exports
of goods and services in which U.S. Government military agencies participate.
Includes both goods, such as equipment, and services, such as repair
services and training, that cannot be separately identified.
-
Direct Defense Expenditures (Imports only) - Expenditures incurred
by U.S. military agencies abroad, including expenditures by U.S. personnel,
payments of wages to foreign residents, construction expenditures,
payments for foreign contractual services, and procurement of foreign
goods. Includes both goods and services that cannot be separately
identified.
-
U.S. Government Miscellaneous Services - Transactions of U.S. Government
nonmilitary agencies with foreign residents. Most of these transactions
involve the provision of services to, or purchases of services from,
foreigners; transfers of some goods are also included.
Services estimates are based on quarterly, annual, and benchmark surveys
and partial information generated from monthly reports. Service transactions
are estimated at market prices. Estimates are seasonally adjusted when
statistically significant seasonal patterns are present. No country or
area detail is available due to the lack of adequate source data upon
which to base estimates.
The revision policy is as follows: Each month, a preliminary estimate
for the current month and a revised estimate for the immediately preceding
month are released. After a revised month is released, no further changes
are made to that month until more complete source data become available.
9. COMMODITY CLASSIFICATIONS
Schedule B
The export statistics are initially collected and compiled in terms
of approximately 8,000 commodity classifications in Schedule
B, Statistical Classification of Domestic and Foreign Commodities Exported
from the United States. Schedule B is a U.S. Census Bureau publication
and is based on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System
(Harmonized System).
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United
States Annotated for Statistical Reporting Purposes
The import statistics are initially collected and compiled in terms
of approximately 14,000 commodity classifications in the Harmonized
Tariff Schedule of the United States Annotated for Statistical Reporting
Purposes (HTSUSA), an official publication of the U.S. International
Trade Commission. The HTSUSA is the U.S. import version of the Harmonized
System.
The United States and Canada both compile their merchandise trade statistics
in terms of the Harmonized System; however, they have different annotations
beyond the basic 6-digit codes.
Approximately 80 percent of the U.S. Schedule B export classifications
are directly comparable to Canadian import classifications. These classifications
account for 85-90 percent of the total value of U.S. exports to Canada.
Many of the remaining 20 percent of the Schedule B classifications represent
little or no trade with Canada. In these cases, the Canada import code
is recoded to a single Schedule B, usually the class with the most trade
or the residual classification for the root 6-digit Harmonized System
code.
There are some instances where the U.S. and Canadian Customs agencies
do not agree on the 6-digit Harmonized System code under which a particular
commodity or group of commodities should be classified. In these cases
each statistical agency may classify under the 6-digit code designated
by its national Customs agency. Efforts by the U.S. and Canadian Customs
agencies to align detail statistical classifications will continue over
the next several years.
In some reports the HTSUSA and Schedule B classifications are rearranged
and summarized into other classification systems as indicated below:
Standard International Trade Classification
(SITC-United Nations Statistical Papers, Series M, No. 34/Rev.3).
The SITC
is a statistical classification of the commodities entering external trade
designed to provide the commodity aggregates needed for purposes of economic
analysis and to facilitate the international comparison of trade-by-commodity
data.
The Harmonized System and SITC Revision 3 are interrelated. The rearrangement
of import and export data reported in terms of the Harmonized System into
the SITC allows for an additional means of comparison between the U.S.
and its trading partners in terms of commodity classification and trade
statistics.
Certain foreign trade reports present HTS and Schedule B classifications
summarized into approximately 3,000 5-digit SITC codes.
Within the SITC framework, "Manufactured Goods" includes all
products classified in groups 5 through 9.
Manufactured goods conform to the SITC sections that include chemicals
and related products, n.s.p.f.; manufactured goods classified chiefly
by material; machinery and transport equipment; miscellaneous manufactured
articles, n.s.p.f.; and commodities and transactions not classified elsewhere.
North American Industry Classification
System (NAICS)
The North American Industry Classification
System (NAICS) has replaced the U.S. Standard Industrial Classification
(SIC) system. The NAICS provides a consistent system for economic analysis
across the three North American Free Trade Agreement partners –
Canada, Mexico and the United States.
NAICS is built on a production-oriented or supply-based conceptual framework
in that establishments are grouped into industries according to similarity
in the processes used to produce goods or services. A production-oriented
industry classifications system ensures that statistical agencies in the
three countries can produce information on inputs and outputs, industrial
performance, productivity, unit labor costs, employment, and other statistics
and structural changes occurring in each of the three economies.
The structure of NAICS is hierarchical. NAICS uses a six-digit coding
system to identify particular industries and their placement in this hierarchical
structure of the classification system. The first two digits of the code
designate the sector that represent general categories of economic activities,
the third designates the sub-sector, the fourth digit designates the industry
group, the fifth digit designates the NAICS industry, and the sixth digit
designates the national industry. An industry is a grouping of economic
activities. Though it inevitably groups the products of the economic activities
that are included in the industry definition, it is not solely a grouping
of products.
There are 20 sectors in NAICS. New industries are identified and added
periodically which reflects the enormous changes in technology and in
the growth and diversification of services that have marked recent decades.
A key feature of NAICS is the Information sector. A few of the new and
important industries created in this section include: Internet service
providers and Web search portals, and Internet publishing and broadcasting.
Also included in the Information sector is electronic shopping and electronic
auctions.
End Use Commodity Category
The HTSUSA and Schedule B classifications are summarized into six principal
"end-use"
categories and further subdivided into about 140 broad commodity groupings.
These categories are used in developing seasonally adjusted and constant
dollar totals. The concept of end-use demand was developed for balance
of payments purposes by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. (See discussion
of Seasonal Adjustment).
Agricultural and Nonagricultural
Commodities
Agricultural commodities consist of nonmarine food products, natural
fibers, unmanufactured tobacco, and other farm products subject to federal
legislation such as Section 22 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act. Some
processed agricultural commodities are included if the value added by
manufacturing accounts for less than 50 percent of the final value of
shipments as reported in the latest Census of Manufactures. Examples of
processed agricultural commodities include cereal flours, dairy products,
canned meats, canned fruits and vegetables, vegetable oils, animal hides,
fur pelts, wine, and beer. Textiles, leather products, distilled beverages,
forestry, and fishery products are classified as nonagricultural commodities.
Assignments of individual HTSUSA and Schedule B classifications generally
are determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and differ from the
guidelines in the Standard Industrial Classification of the United States
(SIC).
Advanced Technology Products (ATP)
About 500 of some 22,000 commodity classification codes used in reporting
U.S. merchandise trade are identified as “advanced
technology” codes and they meet the following criteria:
The code contains products whose technology is from a recognized high
technology field (e.g.), biotechnology).
These products represent leading edge technology in that field.
Such products constitute a significant part of all items covered in the
selected classification code.
This product and commodity-based measure of advanced technology differs
from broader NAICS industry-based measures which include all goods produced
by a particular industry group, regardless of the level of technology
embodied in the goods
10. COUNTRY DESIGNATIONS
Country Classification
The names and codes of the countries of the world are listed in Schedule
C, Classification of Country and Territory Designations for U.S. Foreign
Trade Statistics, the system used for publishing both import and export
country statistics. Schedule C is arranged in geographic order according
to continents. Countries and territories are listed in sequence within
each continent, generally from north to south and west to east. The classifications
appearing in Schedule C conform to those prescribed by the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO) and are recommended by ISO for
international exchange. Schedule C is published as a statistical annex
in HTSUSA and as a part of Schedule B.
Export Country of Destination
Country of destination for exports is the country where the goods are
to be consumed, further processed, or manufactured, as known to the shipper
at the time of exportation. If the shipper does not know the country of
ultimate destination, the shipment is credited to the last country to
which the shipper knows that the merchandise will be shipped in the same
form as when exported. (See discussion of the designation for Unidentified
Countries under Statistical Presentation below.)
Import Country of Origin
Country of origin for imports is the country where the merchandise was
grown, mined, or manufactured, in accordance with U.S. Customs Regulations.
In instances where the country of origin cannot be determined, transactions
are credited to the country of shipment. Certain foreign trade reports
show country subcodes to indicate special tariff treatment afforded some
imported articles. See Section
6 (Reference Aids) of this Guide for a list of country subcodes.
Statistical Presentation<
Abbreviated country designations are used in lieu of complete country
names in the foreign trade program. Numerical codes are used for automated
purposes. Alphabetic abbreviations are used for published reports.
The designation UNIDENT (Unidentified Countries) in the export statistics,
reflects shipments of certain grains and oilseeds for storage in Canada
but ultimately destined for third countries, the specific country of ultimate
destination being unknown at the time of shipment. This is not a part
of the U.S./Canada Data Exchange. Annually, by Special Announcement, based
on information supplied by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, specific
country of destination information on exports of such grains and oilseeds
is published. This designation also includes satellites launched in the
United States on behalf of international organizations.
The designation OTH CTY used in some reports represents the total for
countries from or to which imports or exports of the particular commodity
averaged less than a $50,000 per month on a cumulative year-to-date basis.
The major world areas for which foreign trade data are shown represent
individual Schedule C countries or groupings of several countries into
geographic areas or economic unions. (See
Section 5 on Country Groupings.)
11. QUANTITY AND SHIPPING WEIGHT
Quantity
Units of quantity shown are published in terms of the units specified
in the HTSUSA and Schedule B for each classification.
When two units of quantity are required for an item in the HTSUSA or
Schedule B, both units are shown along with the value.
Shipping Weight
Shipping weight represents the gross weight in kilograms of shipments,
including the weight of moisture content, wrappings, crates, boxes, and
containers (other than cargo vans and similar substantial outer containers).
Shipping weight information is available for shipments by vessel and air
only.
12. CUSTOMS DISTRICTS
District and Port Classification
The names and codes of the Customs districts and ports are listed in
Schedule D, Classification
of U.S. Customs Districts and Ports for Foreign Trade Statistics.
The geographical limits of each district are published in the U.S. Customs
Regulations. Schedule D is published as a statistical annex in HTSUSA
and as a part of Schedule B.
District of Exportation
Vessel or air - the Customs district in which the merchandise is loaded
on the vessel or aircraft which takes the merchandise out of the country.
Rail, truck, pipeline, or other overland transportation - the Customs
district through which the merchandise crosses the U.S. border into foreign
territory.
Aircraft exported under their own power are credited to the Customs district
from which they are flown out of the United States.
Import District of Entry
The district in which merchandise clears Customs for entry into consumption
channels, bonded warehouses or Foreign Trade Zones.
Import District of Unlading
The district where merchandise is unloaded from the importing vessel
or aircraft.
Statistical Presentation
Abbreviated Customs district designations are used instead of complete
names in the foreign trade program. Numerical codes are used for automated
purposes. Alphabetic abbreviations are used for published reports.
Special Districts
The following types of shipments are included for statistical purposes
in special Customs districts and are not reported by geographical location
of the individual Customs district of entry or exportation:
Vessels under their own power or afloat (imports and exports)
Low-valued imports and exports (See discussion of Low-Valued Statistics
below)
Mail shipments (exports only)
Norfolk, VA-Charleston, SC-Mobile, AL (Exports of bituminous coal). See
discussion of Customs Districts under Other Quality
Issues.
Wilmington, NC-Savannah, GA (Exports of cotton linter pulp). See discussion
of Customs Districts under Other Quality Issues.
Background
The Census Bureau is responsible for collecting, compiling, and publishing
export trade statistics for the United States. The paper Shipper's Export
Declaration (SED) or its electronic equivalent is filed by qualified exporters,
forwarders, or carriers through the Automated Export System (AES). These
data measure the physical movement of merchandise out of the United States
to foreign countries. Information on the state from which the merchandise
was shipped has been collected and made available since the 1980s.
Origin of Movement (OM) State
- Based on Origin State
In 1985, a new field indicating the state where the export journey begins,
was added. This field allowed the compilation of the State of Origin of
Movement Series. The OM series based on origin state, available since
1987, provides export statistics based on the state from which the merchandise
starts its journey to the port of export; that is, the data reflect the
transportation origin of exports.
Origin of Movement (OM) - ZIP
Code Based
The ZIP Code of the United States Principal Party in Interest (USPPI),
the party in the United States that receives the primary benefit monetary
or otherwise from the shipment, was redefined in 2004 to indicate the
origin of movement of goods. It does not necessarily represent the location
of the USPPI. Due to increased electronic reporting in the AES, the validity
of the reported ZIP Code has improved since 2004.
Effective with January 2006 statistics, a new OM State series - based
on ZIP code, will be made available upon request for the following state
data products - the FT900 Press Release Supplement, and all three options
of the Quarterly and Annual reports.
Limitations
In certain cases, the origin of movement is not the transportation origin.
Whenever shipments are consolidated, the state of origin of movement will
reflect the consolidate point. This effect is particularly noticeable
for agricultural shipments. Intermediaries located in inland states ship
agricultural commodities down the Mississippi River for export from the
port of New Orleans. In this case, they would report Louisiana, the state
where the port of New Orleans is located, as the state of origin of movement.
The primary impact is on the state distribution of nonmanufactured exports,
which are generally exported by intermediaries. The most visible result
is a tendency to understate exports from some agricultural states and
to overstate exports from states like Louisiana that have ports that handle
high-value shipments of farm products.
The series DOES NOT represent the production origin of U.S. export merchandise.
In some cases considerable manufactured exports are attributed to states
that are known to have little manufacturing capability. One reason is
that commodities produced by out-of-state suppliers can be shipped from
in-state distribution centers. Another factor is shipments of manufactured
commodities from in-state warehouses and other distribution centers that
are arranged by exporters located out-of-state. In both cases, manufactured
exports from the non-industrial state are magnified in the OM series.
Where to Get State and Substate
Export Data Products
Each month, the Census Bureau publishes state value totals by manufactured,
nonmanufactured and total exports for the OM state data series based on
Origin State in the FT900 Press Release Supplement exhibit 2. More detailed
data are available quarterly and annually in machine- readable form by
state, region or port. A list of the data products and contacts is given
below:
· Monthly Summary -- FT900 Press Release Supplement. Trade Data
Inquiries & Controls Section: 301-763-2227
· State export data by 2-, 4-, and 6-Digit HS by country of destination
and method of transportation is available in the WORLD TRADE ATLAS * U.S.
State Export Edition. For software information or to place an order, call
Global Trade Information Services (803)765-1860 or check their website
at http://www.gtis.com.
· Quarterly and Annual OM state data on CDROM. Please call our
Current Systems Programming Branch on (301)763-2214.
· Option 1: State by 3-Digit NAICS Commodity by Country (Total,
Air and Vessel).
· Option 2: Region by 4-Digit SITC, District/Port of Exit, &
Country (Total, Air & Vessel).
· Option 3: State by District/Port of Exit, & Country (Total,
Air & Vessel)- No Commodity Detail.
· Production Origin Series. Exports by production origin are available
from Exports from Manufacturing Establishments compiled by the Manufacturing
and Construction Division (MCD). The 2002 edition, available on MCD's
web site (http://www.census.gov/mcd), gives exports by state, NAICS (North
American International Classification System) and major economic sector.
INQUIRIES:
Direct inquiries to the Special Projects Branch, Foreign Trade Division:
301-763-3629.
14. LOW-VALUED STATISTICS
Exports
Export statistics are fully compiled on shipments to all countries,
except Canada, where the value of commodities classified under each individual
Schedule B number is over $2,500. Value data for such commodities valued
under $2,501 are estimated for individual countries using factors based
on historical ratios of low-valued shipments to individual country totals.
All low-value estimates are classified using a single commodity code.
As a result of the data exchange between the United States and Canada,
low-valued exports to Canada do not need to be estimated. The U.S. Census
Bureau receives low-valued data from Canada summarized by commodity code.
Imports
Import statistics are fully compiled on shipments valued over $2,000
(or $250 for certain quota items) for any article that must be reported
on a formal entry. Value data for shipments valued under $2,001, and not
required to be reported on formal entries, are estimated for individual
countries using factors based on historical ratios of low-valued shipments
to individual country totals. The estimates for low-valued shipments are
classified using a single commodity code. They are omitted from statistics
for individual commodity classifications.
15. TRANSPORTATION
STATISTICS
Method of Transportation
The transportation statistics are presented in terms of three categories
- vessel, air and all methods - based on the method of transportation
by which the merchandise arrived in or departed from the United States.
In some instances, shipments between the United States and countries abroad
enter or depart through Canada or Mexico. Such shipments are recorded
under the method of transportation by which they enter or depart the United
States regardless of the transportation mode between Canada or Mexico
and the country of origin or destination.
There are some differences in the coverage of these statistics, primarily
as follows:
The data for "all methods of transportation" include exports
and general imports by vessel, air, truck, rail, air mail, parcel post,
and other methods of transportation.
The data for vessel and air exports and general imports represent waterborne
and airborne shipments only (merchandise actually leaving or arriving
in the United States aboard a vessel or an aircraft).
Imports and exports of (a) vessels moving under their own power or afloat
and (b) aircraft flown into or out of the United States are included in
the "all methods" data but excluded from the vessel and air
statistics.
Mail and parcel post shipments (including those transported by vessel
or air) are included in the "all methods" data but excluded
from the vessel and air statistics.
Low-value shipments are included in the "all methods" data
but excluded from the vessel and air statistics.
Intransit Shipments
Shipments of merchandise transported in bond through the United States
en route from one foreign country to another without having been entered
as an import are called in-transit shipments. The in-transit statistics
include only inbound or outbound merchandise moving by vessel.
Vessel entrances and clearances by Customs district are published monthly.
16. U.S. TRADE WITH PUERTO
RICO AND U.S. POSSESSIONS
Source of Information
Statistics on shipments from the United States to Puerto Rico and the
Virgin Islands, and on shipments from Puerto Rico to the United States,
are compiled from information furnished on Shipper's Export Declarations,
which are required to be filed with Customs officials, and shipments by
qualified exporters who have been authorized to submit data by automated
means directly to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Statistics on shipments from the U.S. Virgin Islands and other U.S.
possessions to the United States are compiled from automated data submitted
through the Customs Automated Commercial System and from import documents
filed with Customs officials.
Data on shipments from the U.S. to other U.S. possessions as well as
between the possessions are not compiled.
Coverage
Statistics are separately published covering shipments 1) between the
United States and Puerto Rico, 2) between the United States (including
Puerto Rico) and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and 3) from other U.S. possessions
to the United States. U.S. possessions refers to those listed in Schedule
C, Classification of Country and Territory Designations for U.S. Foreign
Trade Statistics.
Previous discussions and definitions relating to the export statistics
should be applied to statistics on shipments from the United States to
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and on shipments from Puerto
Rico to the United States. Similarly, previous discussions and definitions
relating to the import statistics should be applied to statistics on shipments
from the U.S. Virgin Islands and other U.S. possessions to the United
States.
Trade with Foreign Countries
Puerto Rico is a Customs district within the U.S. Customs territory,
and its trade with foreign countries is included in the U.S. export and
import statistics.
The U.S. export and import statistics include merchandise trade between
the U.S. Virgin Islands and foreign countries even though the Virgin Islands
of the United States are not officially a part of the U.S. Customs territory.
Data on trade of other U.S. outlying possessions with foreign countries
is not compiled by the the United States.
17. SOURCES OF NONSAMPLING ERROR
Import and export data are a complete enumeration of documents collected
by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and are not subject to sampling
errors. However, while quality assurance procedures are performed at every
stage of collection, processing, and tabulation, the data are still subject
to several types of nonsampling errors. The most significant of these
include reporting errors, undocumented shipments, timeliness, data capture
errors, transiting goods, and underestimation of low-valued transactions.
For more information on nonsampling errors, including efforts to mitigate
their effects, please refer to the U.S.
Merchandise Trade Statistics Quality Profile.
Reporting Errors
Reporting errors are mistakes or omissions made by importers, exporters,
or their agents when reporting import or export shipments. Most reporting
errors involve missing or invalid commodity classification codes, missing
or incorrect quantities or shipping weights, and missing, multiple, or
incorrect state of origin designations. Such errors can significantly
impact detailed commodity statistics if not corrected or corrected inaccurately,
but have a negligible effect on export, import and balance of trade statistics.
In addition, errors may result from the correction of misreported data.
The data are subjected to several types of error detection and correction
checks, including on-line validations for data reported electronically
through the Automated Export System (AES) or the Automated Broker Interface
(ABI). Such validations immediately refer errors back to the filer for
correction. However, data from all sources are also edited and corrected
through clerical and electronic means. Clerical correction is time consuming,
expensive, and can often prevent data from being included in the correct
statistical month. Electronic corrections, or imputes, are less expensive,
but may introduce some error into the statistics.
Undocumented Shipments
Federal regulations require importers, exporters, or their agents, to
submit import and export information for all merchandise shipments above
the established exemption levels. Exemption levels are $2,000 for imports
(or $250 for certain quota items), and $2,500 for exports to countries
other than Canada. The U.S. Census Bureau has determined that not all
required documents are filed, particularly for exports, as import information
is subject to greater scrutiny by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in
relation to the administration of tariffs, quotas, and other enforcement
activities. Goods withdrawn from Foreign Trade Zones (FTZs) for exportation,
and exports of U.S. goods through Canadian ports en route to other destinations
are two examples of commonly unreported shipments that can lead to errors
in export statistics. Undocumented foreign merchandise entering FTZs,
which should be included in import trade statistics under general imports,
is an example of undocumented import data that can contribute to the problem
of import undercoverage.
Timeliness
“Carryover” is the term used to identify the import and/or
export records that were either not received or not processed in time
to be included in the current month’s statistics. Such records may
be carried over into a subsequent month’s statistics, and are often
the result of late filing or processing problems, such as rejection of
a shipment because the data failed to meet certain edit criteria established
to protect the accuracy of the statistics.
Data Capture Errors
The U.S. Census Bureau captures import and export information either
from paper documents that are keyed manually, or from automated collection
programs, such as AES, ABI, and the U.S.-Canada Data Exchange. Lost documents,
errors in the on-line validations and edits of electronically reported
data, and incorrectly keyed, coded or recorded documents are examples
of data capture errors than can impact the statistics.
Transiting Goods
Shipments of goods moving through the United States en route from one
country to another, where the United States is not the country of ultimate
destination, can create coverage problems that affect trade statistics.
When such goods, referred to as transiting goods, are shipped under bond,
they are not subject to duties and are excluded from the merchandise trade
statistics in accordance with the guidelines for international merchandise
trade statistics established by the United Nations. Many companies, however,
enter transiting goods into the United States using an import entry summary
and file an export declaration when the goods leave the United States.
While this practice does not affect the total trade balance, it does affect
bilateral trade balances, and creates discrepancies between U.S. statistics
and those of other countries. This issue is especially problematic for
bilateral trade between Canada and the United States, where goods transiting
through the United States from Canada are entered as U.S. imports from
Canada.
Underestimation of Low-Valued
Transactions
The United States does not require importers and exporters to file documents
for shipments valued less than a specified exemption level (see discussion
on Low-Valued Statistics). The U.S. Census Bureau
estimates the total value of trade beneath the exemption level for each
country using factors based on historical patterns of trade. The data
on which these factors are based are old and do not reflect recent changes
in trade patterns.
18. OTHER QUALITY ISSUES
In addition to nonsampling errors, import and export transactions may
be subject to other factors that can have an impact on the quality of
our published data. These other quality issues include estimated calculated
duty, inconsistencies in comparisons of commodity data, and the suppression
of quantity, shipping weight, or Customs district for disclosure avoidance.
This information is provided below.
Also, many U.S. Census Bureau merchandise trade publications include
statements on quality and reliability specific to each report. For more
information beyond what is provided below, please refer to those publications.
Estimated Calculated Duty
Estimates of calculated duty do not necessarily reflect amounts of duty
paid and should, therefore, be used with caution. The inclusion in the
figures of some U.S. products returned after processing and assembly abroad,
for which a portion of the value is eligible for duty free consideration,
may cause these duty figures to be somewhat overstated as a result. In
cases where articles are dutiable at various or special rates, a dutiable
value is shown but no duty is calculated. Thus, there is an understatement
in the estimates of calculated duty to the extent that these situations
exist.
Comparison of Commodity
Data
The omission of a commodity number from certain reports does not necessarily
mean that there were no exports or imports of the commodity during the
month. It is possible that some shipments may not be classified by commodity.
Data users are cautioned that comparison of U.S. exports with corresponding
Canadian import data at detailed commodity levels is not recommended.
Corrections, differences in classification interpretation and in editing
and processing environments make these comparisons uncertain.
In addition, the comparison of data on U.S. exports after 1989 with data
for prior years at levels other than for total exports and exports by
country may show distortion. These distortions may result from the availability
of detailed data for undocumented exports to Canada, which were previously
estimated only at the total level. Distortions also may result from the
changeover to the Harmonized System effective with the January 1989 statistics.
When publication of data under a particular commodity classification
causes disclosure of an individual firm's transactions on a worldwide
basis, it is sometimes necessary to combine several classifications into
one. Even though the detail is reported it is published under the combined
classification, usually a pseudo classification.
Quantity and Shipping
Weight Suppression
When the statistics disclose a company’s shipments of a particular
commodity to or from a specific country, it may be necessary to suppress
quantity and/or shipping weight data. Similarly, when disclosure occurs
on a worldwide basis, it may be necessary to suppress shipping weight
and/or quantity data for shipments of one commodity to or from all countries.
Districts
Statistics for two or more districts may be combined and published under
an arbitrary designation or shipping weight may be excluded from an individual
district as a solution to disclosure situations. As a result, statistics
for individual districts may be understated due to the suppression of
weight of the affected commodities.
19. REVISION PROCEDURE FOR MERCHANDISE
GOODS TRADE
-
Monthly Revisions
Monthly revisions are applied to the prior month data to account for transactions that are
received too late to publish in the appropriate reference month. The revisions represent a
small number of transactions for previous months. Monthly revisions are made based on the end
use commodity classification system and published in the monthly FT-900 U.S. International Trade
in Goods and Services Report. Each month we revise the aggregate seasonally adjusted (current
and chain-weighted dollar) and unadjusted export, import, and trade balance figures, as well as
the end-use commodities for the prior month. These revisions are included in exhibits 1 - 15.
Country detail in exhibits 14 and 14a and SITC detail in exhibit 15 do not include revisions.
The timing adjustment shown in Exhibit 14 is the difference between monthly data as originally
reported and as recompiled. Exhibits 16, 16a, 17, and 18 do not include revisions.
-
Quarterly Revisions to Chain-Weighted Dollars Series
In the last month of each quarter, the current and previous quarter's data are revised to
incorporate the Bureau of Labor Statistics' monthly revisions and align Census and the U.S. Bureau
of Economic Analysis' quarterly data. Quarterly revisions are made based on the end use commodity
classification system and published in the monthly FT-900 U.S. International Trade in Goods and
Services Report. Quarterly revisions are made to the chain-weighted dollar series only. These
revisions are included in exhibits 10 and 11.
-
Annual Revisions
Each June not seasonally adjusted goods data is revised to redistribute monthly data that arrived
too late for inclusion in the month of transaction but that were included, initially, in the month
in which the data were received. In addition, any corrections made to previously published data are
applied to the statistics. Once the redistributions of data to the proper month of transaction and
corrections are completed the data for the prior year is recompiled and published in the FT-900 U.S.
International Trade in Goods and Services, U.S. Imports History (DVD), U.S. Exports History (DVD),
and USA Trade On-Line.
Factors for seasonal adjustments and trading day adjustments are also recomputed and the seasonally
adjusted current-dollar series is revised for the prior three years and the first three months of the
current year. Similar changes are made to the chain-weighted dollar series.
-
Other Revisions
Revisions to the import and export statistics in the form of errata are issued annually and are available
free of charge upon request. We also post these corrections as they occur
on our website. These
errata provide corrections to statistics issued in prior foreign trade reports and data products. The data
are presented by statistical month in commodity number arrangement only. The revisions are shown in
commodity classification by country by Customs district order as net amounts to be added to or subtracted
from the previously issued statistics. There are no separate data for shipments by vessel or by air.
The Census Bureau receives revisions from Canada and makes corrections for prior period transactions to the
cumulative-to-date totals for U.S. exports and U.S. exports to Canada. These revisions are applied at the detail
level only with the release of the annual revision report.
The initial release of the statistics (FT 900) and certain reports include special announcements as warranted
to call attention to the discovery of large or significant revisions and to provide information on the appropriate
data corrections and program changes.
20. SOURCES OF FURTHER INFORMATION
ABOUT THE FOREIGN TRADE STATISTICS
Supplementary information and explanations of interest to users of foreign
trade statistics (such as notices of changes in statistical procedures,
and so forth) are included as special announcements in current issues
of the statistical publications. Reports providing additional detail compiled
but not published may be obtained on a cost basis.
Copies of foreign trade statistics are available for public reference
use at various International Trade Administration district offices, Census
Regional Offices, and at some U.S. Customs and Border Protection offices.
Since the distribution of foreign trade material varies among offices,
inquiries regarding the availability of particular types of data should
be made to:
Trade Data Services Branch
Foreign Trade Division
U.S. Census Bureau Room 2179, Federal Office Building #3
Washington, DC 20233 (Located at Suitland, MD)
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