Background Notes And Methodology

Sources of Additional Information

Provisional trade statistics are issued each month in two statistical releases: Trade with Non-EU Countries and External Trade.
The publication of the full range of detail available on trade statistics is not a realistic option. However, this information is readily accessible. Details at the level of CN and SITC are available by special arrange-ment on a fee basis on diskette and computer printouts.
Enquiries are welcome. Specific details can also be obtained by telephone, post or personal visit (between 10:00am - 12:30pm and 2:30 - 5:00pm) to:

Trade Help Desk
Central Statistics Office
Ardee Road
Rathmines
Dublin 6

Phone Dublin (01) 498 4200,
Cork (021) 453 5000, ext 4200
LoCall 1890 313 414, ext 4200
Fax (01) 498 4240

E-mail: trade@cso.ie

CSO on the Web: http://www.cso.ie

EU Trade Statistics Published by Eurostat

Under Council Regulations 3330/91 and 1172/95, each member state is obliged to compile statistics of its foreign trade and forward them to the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat).
These data, for all member states, are published by Eurostat. There are some conceptual differences between the data for Ireland published by Eurostat and the data published nationally.
The data published by Eurostat for non-EU trade are compiled under the 'special' trade system as op-posed to the nationally published data which are compiled under the 'general' trade system (as outlined in these notes). While the general system rec-ords imports and exports at the time the goods are moved across the physical boundary of the State, the special system records transactions across the Customs boundary of the State. For example, in the special system, goods imported into a Customs bonded warehouse are recorded only at the time of release from the warehouse.
In the data published by Eurostat for imports of goods (a) originating in the EU, (b) in free circulation in the EU or (c) after inward processing in the EU, the country of consignment rather than the country of origin is shown. For other goods originating in non-EU countries that are not in free circulation in the EU, the country of origin is shown. In the nationally pub-lished results the country of origin is shown in all cases.

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Notes on the Tables

Table 1: Summary of trade

This gives the total value of imports, exports and the trade surplus (exports less imports), volume and price indices for imports and exports together with the terms of trade indices.
Changes in the values of imports and exports are separated for analytical purposes into their price and volume components. Unit value prices are calculated by dividing the value data by the corresponding quantity data for detailed commodity groupings. The value changes are deflated by the resultant price trends to provide estimates of volume change. Monthly and annual price and volume indices are published.
The monthly price (unit value) index measures monthly price trends relative to the annual price level in the preceding year using value weights relating to that year's trade (Laspeyres index). The annual index is compiled using value weights for both the current and previous years (Fisher index) to allow for change in the structure of external trade. The monthly series should be regarded as interim measures suitable for month-to-month comparisons within a given year. However, when the annual price index is compiled, the monthly price indices are rescaled to make their average equal to the annual index.
The terms of trade index number is the export price (unit value) index number as a percentage of the import price (unit value) index number.

Table 2: Seasonally adjusted Series

Monthly imports, exports, trade surplus, and the vol-ume series for imports and exports have been seasonally adjusted using the US Bureau of the Census X-11 Variant of the Census Method 11 Seasonal Adjustment Program.
The series are affected by irregular movements. The seasonal adjustment process does not remove the irregularities, and so isolated extreme values should not be given too much weight.
The series are recalculated at the end of each year using up-to-date seasonal patterns available at the time.

Table 3: Imports by main use

In this table, imports are classified into the main use categories:
• Producers' capital goods ready for use
• Consumption goods ready for use
• Materials for further production.
These categories provide a reclassification of imports in terms of national accounts aggregates. 'Consumption goods ready for use' is further broken down to distinguish 'Food, drink and tobacco goods'. 'Materials for further production' is further broken down to distinguish 'Materials for further production in Agriculture'.

Table 4: Imports by main use and area of origin

This gives imports classified by main use (see above) for the areas:
• Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Other EU member states
• Rest of the world.

Table 5: Exports by industrial origin

In this table, exports are classified by the sector of origin categories:
• Agriculture produce
• Forestry and fishing produce
• Industrial produce.

Table 6: Exports by industrial origin and area of destination

This gives exports classified by industrial origin (see above) for the areas:
• Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• Other EU member states
• Rest of the world.

Tables 7-8: Trade by area

Imports and exports are classified by area of origin and area of destination respectively.
The area groupings are shown in the footnotes to the table. In this table, APEC represents 'Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation' and NAFTA represents 'North American Free Trade Agreement'.

Table 9: Trade by country

This gives the complete list of countries for which trade data are compiled. Some country names are abbreviated because of space constraints. The order in which the countries appear is essentially a geographic one.

Table 10: Trade by SITC Section and Division

This table classifies imports and exports according to the 1-digit (Section) and 2-digit (Division) levels of SITC Rev 3.

Table 11: Trade by SITC Division and country

This table gives trade for each Division (2-digit level) of the SITC. For a particular Division, country details are given when the value of imports from or exports to that country exceeds €1,300,000 for the month in question or an average of €900,000 per month for the year to date. The total for EU countries is also shown.
Section 9 in this table includes Shannon Free Zone, Parcel Post and Statistical Threshold trade; these categories of trade are not broken down by commodity.
The category 'Non-EU, unknown' used in this (and the following) table includes SAD exports with an unknown country of destination.

Table 12: Trade by country and SITC Division

This gives trade for each country, and for the total of EU countries. For a particular country, Division (2-digit) details are given when the value of imports or exports for that Division exceeds €1,300,000 for the month in question or an average of €900,000 per month for the year to date.

Table 13: Imports by SITC heading and country

This contains the detailed quantity and value data classified by commodity (SITC Rev 3) and by country, as well as EU and non-EU subtotals. The unit of quantity used for each item is indicated in brackets after the SITC code.
Country data are given under each commodity heading (except in Section 9) subject to the value of trade with that country being above €1,300,000 in the month in question or an average of €900,000 per month for the year to date.
The figures in this table relate to returned trade only: Intrastat estimates are excluded because they are not broken down by commodity.

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Table 14: Exports by SITC heading and country

The corresponding table for exports.

Symbols and Abbreviations

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