Monthly & Annual Wholesale Trade

About the Surveys

The Monthly Wholesale Trade Survey (MWTS) and the Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (AWTS) work together to produce the most comprehensive data available on wholesale economic activity in the United States. More detailed descriptions of these programs can be found by choosing one of the links to the left.

Regular quality control and verification takes place between these two programs and the larger and more infrequent Economic Census of Wholesale Trade. MWTS estimates are benchmarked to AWTS estimates to ensure that data collection of each company is complete. AWTS estimates are then benchmarked to data maintained by the Economic Census of Wholesale Trade. This process of benchmarking wholesale data over all three programs ensures consistency in our estimates.

The Business Expenses Supplement is an addition to the 2007 AWTS. Its purpose is to compile statistics on detailed business operating expenses. The United States Code, Title 13, authorizes this program as part of the Economic Census. This coverage was previously part of the predecessor Business Expenses Survey. Detailed expenses are collected every five years.