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Trade Data:
what it is & how to get it

1. Commodity Codes: SITC & HS
2. Summary Global Trade
3. Bilateral Global Trade
4. U.S. Trade
5. U.S. State Data
6. U.S. Port Data

Related guides:
Trade Tariffs, Duty Rates, & Barriers
Country Research for Business & Marketing

 1. Commodity Codes

 Introduction

In trade data, numbering codes are used to identify commodities (i.e. products or raw materials). These "commodity codes" are hierarchal -- the longer the number, the more specific the commodity. A short commodity code, on the other hand, indicates a broad category of commodities. See below for examples of such hierarchies.

Aggregated data means using a short (ex. 2- or 3-digit) commodity number, in which many commodities are lumped together. For example, if you need import data for "clothing," you would be looking for aggregated data.

Disaggregated data involves using a long commodity number, in which a very specific commodity is specified. To research "cotton men's or boys' shirts, knitted," for example, you would be looking for disaggregated data.

It's helpful to determine the commodity code(s) you need before searching a trade database. Otherwise, you may waste a lot of time figuring out what to search for. On the other hand, sometimes you won't be able to find good trade data for the commodity you chose. In that case, you may want to play around with the data source to see what commodities are researchable.

SITC and HS are two commonly-used commodity codes. SIC and NAICS, codes for industries, can also used for trade data.

Commodity codes are updated periodically. You may see the revision number or year next to the code abbreviation, as in "SITC (rev 3)".

 Standard Industrial Trade Classification (SITC)

SITC structure, expandable to 5-digits (United Nations)
List of all SITC codes (International Trade Center)

This system is used by the United Nations to track world-wide imports and exports. The codes can be up to 5 digits long. They aren't as detailed as the Harmonized System (see below). Here is an example of a hierarchy from SITC:

84 Articles of apparel and clothing accessories
841 Men's or boys' coats, jackets, suits, trousers, shirts, underwear etc. of woven textile fabrics
8415 Shirts
84151 Of cotton

 Harmonized System (HS)

HS Export Codes ("Schedule B"): browse, search, or download codes
HS Import Codes: the chapters in PDF format

Also called Harmonized Tariff Code (HTC), this coding system is used by the U.S. Government to classify U.S. imports and exports. These codes can be up to 10 digits long. Exports codes (called Schedule B) are administered by the U.S. Census Bureau. Import codes are administered by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC). Some GATT member nations also use this system. Here is an example of a hierarchy from HS:

61 Articles of apparel and clothing accessories, knitted or crocheted
6103 Men's or boys' suits, ensembles, suit-type jackets....knitted or crocheted
6103.19 Of other textile materials
6103.19.20 Of cotton
6103.19.20.10 Jackets imported as parts of suits

 2. Summary Global Trade 
 (trade between a country and the world)

Summary global trade is the total exports of a commodity from one country to the rest of the world, or total imports of a commodity from the rest of the world to one country. An example is how much cotton India exports to all other countries. If you need data for the United States, you could also try one of the U.S. Trade sources.

 Comtrade

• Web-based UNCG database from the UN.
• Covers 1962-one year ago
• Uses up to 5-digit SITC codes and 6-digit harmonized codes.
• Data can be downloaded into Excel.
• For an illustrated guide to one way of searching Comtrade, see the MKT426 library guide.
• PC-TAS is the CD-ROM version of this database (see below).

PC/TAS: United Nations Personal Computer/Trade Analysis System

• A CD-ROM available in IRC campus labs and some campus offices
• Covers 2001-2005
• Uses up to 6-digit harmonized codes.
• Data can be downloaded into Excel.
• For help finding this CD on the network, see the MKT426 library guide.
• Detailed user's guide
• To get summary global data, use the "Country Profile" option from the "View" menu.
• Printing can be a challenge. If printing in landscape doesn't work for you, consider printing from Excel.
• To export data, or create graphs, use the "View" pull-down menu.

 International Trade Statistics Yearbook 2004

• Reference book (Ref HF91.U473)
• Covers 2000-2004 for most countries.
• Uses up to 5-digit SITC
• Published by the UN.
• This two-volume set lists imports and exports data for 179 countries.
• Volume I presents trade data organized by country, volume II by 3-digit SITC.

 International Trade Centre (United Nations) Trade Statistics

• Web pages
• Covers 2001-2005
• Uses 3-digit SITC
• Provides international import and export statistics by product group or country.
• Simple to use, but there are no options for aggregation-level.
• There's no download option.

 3. Bilateral Global Trade
 (trade between individual countries)

Bilateral global trade is trade between two countries (sometimes called trading partners), or between one country and a country group. An example is how much cotton India exports to China or the European Union. If the United States is one of the countries involved in the trade data you need, you could also try one of the U.S. Trade sources.

 Comtrade

• Web-based UNCG database from the UN.
• Covers 1962-one year ago
• Uses up to 5-digit SITC codes and 6-digit harmonized codes.
• Data can be downloaded into Excel.
• For an illustrated guide to one way of searching Comtrade, see the MKT426 library guide.
• PC-TAS is the CD-ROM version of this database (see below).

 United Nations Trade Analysis System (UN PC/TAS) (CD-ROM)

• A CD-ROM available in IRC campus labs and some campus offices
• Covers 2001-2005
• Uses up to 6-digit harmonized codes.
• Data can be downloaded into Excel.
• For help finding this CD on the network, see the MKT426 library guide.
• Detailed user's guide
• To get summary global data, use the "Country Profile" option from the "View" menu.
• Printing can be a challenge. If printing in landscape doesn't work for you, consider printing from Excel.
• To export data, or create graphs, use the "View" pull-down menu.

 4. U.S. Trade

These sources provide summary global trade for the United States, and/or bilateral trade data with the United States as one of the trading partners.

 USITC Trade DataWeb (US International Trade Commission)

• A web-based database that requires free registration.
• Covers 1989 to two months ago.
• Commodity codes used: HS, SITC, SIC, or NAICS, at any level of aggregation.
• Data can be downloaded into Excel.
• Covers U.S. imports and exports, at all levels of commodity classification.

 Trade Data Online (TDO)

• A free, web-based database from Industry Cananda covering U.S. data (as well as Canadian).
• Covers the most recent 10 years, up to a few months ago.
• Uses up to 6-digit HS.
• Data can be downloaded into Excel.
• This site lets you to create customized reports on Canadian and US imports and exports with over 200 countries.
• Data can be presented as a graph ("run graph"), chart ("run report"), or spreadsheet ("save data to file" -- look for this icon under the graph or chart).
• To get 2-5 level HS codes, use the "browse list" option for the Product Search.

 TradeStats Express, Export.gov

• Free web-based database
• Only covers exports!
• Covers 1989-a few months ago
• Uses up to 4-digit HS or 3-digit SITC
• Data can be downloaded into Excel.
• Useful for visual representations of US trade information.

 5. U.S. State Data

 GTIS: U.S. State Export Edition

• A web-based UNCG database.
• Only covers exports!
• Covers 1996 to a few months ago.
• Uses up to 6-digit HS.
• Data can downloaded into Excel, presented in TXT format, or displayed as charts.
• Help using this database (it explains the buttons across the bottom).
• Use the menus at the top and the three buttons in the lower left to get more detailed data.

 TradeStats Express, Export.gov

• Free web-based database
• Only covers exports!
• Covers 1989-a few months ago
• Uses broad product categories, not commodity codes.
• Data can be downloaded into Excel.
• Useful for visual representations of US trade information.

Statistical Warehouse

• A web-based UNCG database.
• Only covers exports!.
• Covers 1997 or 2000 (depending on type of export data) to the near present
• Uses the names of product categories (ex. apparel), not commodity codes.
• Data can be downloaded into Excel.
• Provides rankings of tables.
• Tables can be exported to a nicely-formatted PDF page.
• Look for "Foreign Trade & Investment" in the Economics section.

6. U.S. Port-Level Data

 USITC Trade DataWeb (US International Trade Commission)

• Use the "Advanced Searching" option for port-level import or export data.
• A web-based database that requires free registration.
• Covers 1989 to two months ago
• Uses: HS, SITC, SIC, or NAICS, all at any level of aggregation.
• Data can be downloaded into Excel.

Thanks to Mark Thomas (Economics Librarian at Duke University) for his
trade statistics overview, from which I borrowed some ideas for this guide.