1. |
Why am I prompted for a username and password? USA Trade Online is a subscription service. In order to access the reports, you must first purchase an account.
|
2. |
I have a multi-user account. Why am I being prompted for a username and password? If a multi-user account is being prompted for a username/password, this typically means either your account has expired or that your IP addresses (through which you receive access to the service) has changed. To find out if your account has expired, go to Account Maintenance and check the status of your account. If your account is still active, then call the Foreign Trade Divison support line at 1-800-549-0595 option 4 to verify that we have the correct IP address for your account.
|
3. |
Can I test the service out before purchasing? You can register for a one-time free 7-day trial subscription to USA Trade Online.
 |
4. |
I’m a Federal Depository Library. How do I access USA Trade Online? Please contact Mary Holmes of the Government Printing Office at mholmes@gpo.gov
|
5. |
Will my personal information (credit card number, address, email, etc…) be stored? In subscribing to one or more of our services, you provided personal identifying information. This information is retained in secure storage for internal use in maintaining your account. If you charged your subscription fee using a credit card, we submit your account number to a U.S. Government approved financial institution for payment authorization. Once payment is approved, we destroy the record containing your credit card number.
|
6. |
What are the hours of customer service? Customer Service phone support at 1-800-549-0595 option 4 is open from 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM Eastern Time, Monday - Friday. Offices are closed during federal holidays.
|
7. |
How do we retrieve usage statistics? Managers of site license accounts can obtain usage statistics by going to Account Maintenance and using their account username and password. From there, follow the “Click here for site license including account activity” to access monthly usage statistics over the last 12 months. Federal Depository Libraries may obtain their usage statistics upon request
|
8. |
How can I change my username and password? To personalize your username and password, go to Account Maintenance. From there, follow the “Personalize Username/Password” link and the instructions on that screen.
|
9. |
I lost my username and password. How can I retrieve them? Your username and password can be emailed to you by clicking here. The email address you provide must match the one associated with your account.
|
10. |
How do I find out my IP address? If you do not know or have access to your IP information, you can obtain it by clicking here.
|
1. |
How do I get started? New users can get started easily by using the New User Guide.
|
2. |
How do I view a report? Once you've made all of your selections in the Report Contents, click on the "Show Report" link to view your report. To view a Chart of your report, click on the "Chart" link from the Report Options tool bar.
|
3. |
How do I search? Searching can be done in the Report Contents sections. Locate the search box, enter your search terms and then hit the Enter key or click the  to initiate your search.
|
4. |
How do I sort my results within a table? It's as easy as clicking the   arrows at the top of your report's columns. The downward pointing arrow sorts the data in descending order (meaning largest value first) and the upward pointing arrow does the opposite. Previously, the report had to be sorted according to the leftmost column. Now, you can sort in any column! You'll notice the arrow icons turn red   to identify the sorted column. Tell me more...
|
5. |
How do I convert my report into an Excel file? When viewing your report, click on the  on your tool bar, then use the drop-down box to select your desired format. Tell me more...
|
6. |
When I use the calculate percentages command in the Report Options list, the values seem to be half of what they should be. How do I fix this? If you calculate shares for a particular commodity with all countries as well as World Total selected, each country's share will be half of what it should be, with World Total showing a share of 50 percent. This occurs because the value for World Total by definition is equal to the sum of the values for all countries (we’d be in real trouble if it wasn’t!). To avoid this problem, make sure to deselect World Total when you are calculating your percentage shares (unless of course this action in desired based on your research question or questions). Tell me more...
|
7. |
I can't get my charts to look how I want. Please help! A good rule of thumb to remember when creating charts in USA Trade Online is that the categories adjacent to the data cells will be illustrated in the chart. For example, if the “Time” category goes along the top of the report and the “Country” category goes along the side of the report, then Country will be represented on the y-axis and Time on the x-axis. Another good rule of thumb is to avoid placing a one-variable category adjacent to the data cells. Tell me more...
|
8. |
What happened to My Reports? How do I save them now? The "My Reports" feature is still available. To Save a report, click on the  icon. This will open up the My Reports - Save dialogue box. Follow the brief instructions then hit "OK". To access your saved reports, click on the "Return to Data Source Selection" link above your report. This will take you back to the Data Source Selection Screen where you can access your saved reports by clicking on the "My Reports" tab in the upper left corner. Tell me more...
|
9. |
How current are the data on USA Trade Online? The data on USA Trade Online are updated the same day the information are released by the Census Bureau. Generally, the data are released about 40 days behind the reference month. The schedule of releases is available as a link on the left-hand navigator on the USA Trade Online home page.
|
10. |
Is there a quick guide for all of these new icons? Yes, you can get a chart detailing all of the icons and their individual functions here.
|
11. |
What is the difference between C.I.F. and F.A.S. value? Or districts of unleading and districts of exportation? You can find the answer to these questions and inquiries about other acronyms and terminology used throughout USA Trade Online in the Glossary of Trade Terms. |