4.9 Structure of merchandise imports
See Table 4.9 hereAbout the data
Definitions
Data sources
Imports are the mirror image of exports, and data on imports are derived from the same sources as data on exports. In principle, world exports and imports should be identical. Similarly, exports from an economy should equal the sum of imports by the rest of the world from that economy. But differences in timing and definitions result in discrepancies in reported values at all levels. For further discussion of indicators of merchandise trade see the notes to tables 4.7 and 4.8.
The value of imports is generally recorded as the cost of the goods when purchased by the importer plus the cost of transport and insurance to the frontier of the importing country—the c.i.f. (cost, insurance, and freight) value. A few countries, including Australia, Canada, and the United States, collect import data on an f.o.b. (free on board) basis and then adjust them for freight and insurance costs. Many countries collect and report trade data in U.S. dollars. When countries report in local currency, the United Nations Statistical Office applies the average official exchange rate for the period shown.
Countries may report trade according to the special or general system of trade (see Primary data documentation). In countries that report trade according to the general system, imports include both goods imported for domestic consumption and imports into bonded warehouses and free trade zones. Under the special system imports comprise goods imported for domestic consumption and withdrawals for domestic consumption from bonded warehouses and free trade zones. Goods shipped through a country for the purpose of transport are excluded.
• Merchandise imports show the c.i.f. value of goods received from the rest of the world valued in U.S. dollars. Merchandise imports are classified using the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC), series M, no. 34, rev. 2. Group totals for merchandise imports are calculated by simple aggregation after estimating values for countries for which data are missing. Missing values are imputed for a group only when data are available for countries with at least 66 percent weight in 1987 for that group. Other indicators in the table are not aggregated because the coverage is generally poor.
• Food comprises the commodities in SITC sections 0, 1, and 4 and division 22 (food and live animals, beverages and tobacco, animal and vegetable oils and fats, oil seeds, oil nuts, and oil kernels).
• Fuel comprises the commodities in SITC section 3 (mineral fuels, lubricants, and related materials).
• Other primary commodities comprise SITC section 2 (inedible crude materials except fuels), excluding division 22 (oil seeds, oil nuts, and oil kernels) and division 68 (nonferrous metals). • Machinery and transport equipment comprise the commodities in SITC section 7.
• Other manufactures, calculated residually from the total value of manufactured imports, represent SITC sections 5–9, excluding section 7 and division 68.
The principal sources of merchandise trade data are the UNSO’s COMTRADE database; the United Nations International Trade Statistics Yearbook; UNCTAD’s Handbook of International Trade and Development Statistics; and the IMF’s International Financial Statistics and Direction of Trade Statistics.