WTO: 2011 NEWS ITEMS

INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND TARIFF STATISTICS

All the data can be downloaded free of charge from the WTO web site’s statistics page: www.wto.org/statistics. A summary of all WTO statistical tools and databases is available here.

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International Trade Statistics 2011 provides a comprehensive overview of world trade up to the end of 2010, covering merchandise trade by product and services trade by category. Through the use of extensive charts and maps, the publication illustrates noteworthy trends in global trade with links to numerous tables containing more detailed data.

A methodological chapter explains how the data is compiled while an appendix illustrates historical trends.

International Trade Statistics 2011 serves as an invaluable reference tool for researchers, policy makers and anyone interested in international trade. Redesigned this year to further enhance the presentation of the data, this annual publication is available first in electronic format with a print version to follow in November. Data can be downloaded from the WTO web site in Excel and pdf formats and from the searchable database. PDF versions of the entire report in English, French and Spanish will also be made available on the web site.

To further improve the quality of the publication, we invite you to provide your feedback by filling in the ITS 2011 Survey.

World Tariff Profiles — a joint publication of the WTO, the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) — provides comprehensive tariff information on all WTO members and a number of other countries where data is available. It is the only compilation of tariff information of its kind available to researchers and negotiators.

The publication summarizes the market access that each country offers to imports as well as the market access conditions faced by its products in its major export markets. The profiles show both the maximum tariff rates that are legally “bound” in the WTO and the rates that countries actually apply.   

PDF versions of World Tariff Profiles 2011 in English, French and Spanish can be downloaded from the WTO web site. The statistical tables are also available in Excel format. In addition, updated Tariff Profiles can be found in the WTO Statistics Database. 

Trade Profiles 2011 provides the latest information on trade flows and the trade policy measures of WTO members, observers and other selected economies. With information for each of these provided in a standardized format, the publication is a quick reference tool for anyone looking for essential trade statistics.

The data provided include basic economic indicators (such as gross domestic product or GDP), trade policy indicators (such as tariffs, import duties, the number of disputes, notifications outstanding and contingency measures in force), merchandise trade flows (broken down by broad product categories and major origins and destinations), services trade flows (with a breakdown by major components) and industrial property indicators. With one page devoted to each economy, Trade Profiles offers a concise overview of global trade. PDF versions of the publication in English, French and Spanish can be downloaded from the WTO web site.

Printed versions of World Tariff Profiles and Trade Profiles as well as International Trade Statistics will be available in November in English, French and Spanish and can be ordered from the WTO bookshop.

The WTO Statistics web page also contains updates of Tariff Analysis Online and Tariff Downloads plus new versions of World and Regional Export Profiles  (a PDF snapshot of  2010 merchandise exports globally and by region) and World Commodity Profiles (a PDF snapshot of 2010 merchandise exports and imports for agriculture, fuels and mining and manufactured products).

Visitors to the WTO web site may also consult world maps allowing for comparison between countries or customs territories using data of your choice. Options include:

  • trade per capita
  • trade to GDP ratio
  • tariff binding coverage
  • MFN tariffs, simple average, final bound
  • MFN tariffs, simple average, applied
  • MFN tariffs, trade weighted average, applied
  • services sectors with GATS commitments
  • outstanding notifications in the WTO Central Registry
  • merchandise exports
  • merchandise imports
  • commercial services exports
  • commercial services imports

In most cases the data are displayed as a “heat map”. Clicking on a country or territory on the map gives more data. Trade flows (such as merchandise imports and exports) are indicated with arrows.

Jargon buster

Metadata: explanatory notes and other technical details for statistical tables (literally, a set of data that describes and gives information about other data).

ad valorem (AV): a tariff rate charged as percentage of the price

applied rates: duties that are actually charged on imports. These can be below the bound rates

bound rates (tariff binding): commitment not to increase a rate of duty beyond an agreed level. Once a rate of duty is bound, it may not be raised without compensating the affected parties

MFN (most-favoured-nation) tariff: normal non-discriminatory tariff charged on imports (excludes preferential tariffs under free trade agreements and other schemes or tariffs charged inside quotas)

> More jargon: glossary

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