Recent developments in Israel Foreign Trade Statistics Methodology David Wajnryt Israel Central Bureau of Statistics MEDSTAT III - Trade - EJPAI Working Group Berlin, May 3-5, 2011

Outline Background Methodology and recent developments Planned developments

Background Medstat OECD Increased Internal Demand

Trade System Special Trade system Included: Not included: Personal import and export Ships and aircraft Products for exhibitions and fairs (only if sold or given free of charge) Gold an silver (non-monetary) Not included: Commodities imported or exported for a limited period of time and returned without having undergone any processing Effects purchased by tourist in Israel or by Israelis abroad Monetary gold, securities and legal tender (notes and coins) Fuel and food supplied to Israeli ships and aircraft in foreign ports Imported military equipment and weapons Trade with the Palestinian Authority

Methodology – data Sources Forms submitted to Customs Authorities Administrative summaries prepared by institutions Ships Aircraft Agriculture Diamonds Other

Methodology - Value CIF for Imports FOB for exports Estimates based on market price Import and export data are recorded in the currency of the transaction and calculated in Israeli Shekels according to the customs exchange rate

Methodology - Countries Country of import might be Country of purchase Country of origin Country of export Country of last known destination

Methodology - Classifications Harmonized System 2007 SITC Rev 4 ISIC Rev 3 Economic use – national classification Technological Intensity High-Tech Medium-High-Tech Medium–Low-Tech Low-Tech

Methodology – Price Indices Price unit value Laspeyres (weights of the base period) Paasche (weights of the current period) Fisher (geometric average of the two above indices) formulas.

Dissemination - Press releases Monthly Data by Countries Import data by Commodity groups and economic use Export data by aggregated industries and Tech intensity Quarterly Price Indices Annual Imports by Country of origin Exports by Country and industry Trade Balance by Technological Intensity Foreign Exchange Rates

Dissemination - Other Foreign Trade Statistics Monthly - Monthly data by several classifications and breakdowns Data series linked to a central database Annual data by country and commodity

Recent developments Monthly price indices Annual data by country and commodity Available online Monthly data by commodities and countries Available online as downloadable files (2009 and 2010) Data in NIS Tables for OECD countries

Planned developments 2012: 2013 HS 2012 ISIC4 CPC Rev2 Monthly dissemination of imports and exports downloadable files Price indices monthly press release Revision of economic uses classification based on recent surveys 2013 General trade system New customs system based on international standards Redefined database and procedures Electronic data collection Access to data not available today

Israel National Methodology Thank you ICBS – David Wajnryt May 2010