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The Fisheries Statistics Division
of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has
maintained a foreign trade data base for many years.
We have developed a series of programs that can be
used to summarize U.S. foreign trade in fishery products
for the years 1989 to present. You can summarize
the kilos and dollar value by your choice of years,
products, countries, and the type of trade.
Where does NMFS get this data?
Well, like everyone else, we purchase the data from the Foreign
Trade Division of the U.S. Census Bureau. Census is responsible for compiling
the information submitted by importers and exporters to the U.S.
Customs and Border Protection. The data are normally scheduled for
release to the public 43 days after the close of the statistical month.
Importers and exporters submit their transactions
to the U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection
using the international Harmonized Commodity Description
and Coding System (HS). The HS is the system for
classifying goods in international trade which has
been developed under the auspices of the World
Customs Organization (WCO), located in Brussels.
The WCO is an international organization consisting
of representatives of about 161 countries. The U.S.
is represented in the WCO by the U.S. Bureau of Customs
and Border Protection. The International
Trade Commission maintains the Harmonized
Tariff Schedule of the United States used by
importers to classify their goods. Exporters use
the Schedule B maintained by the U.S. Census
Bureau.
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