1. International Trade in Goods Statistics in the EU Lídia Bassó
Hungarian Central Statistical Office Dpt. of Services and External Trade Statistics
International Trade in Goods Statistics in the EU
Lídia Bassó
MEDSTAT study visit on ITGS Budapest, May, 2013

2. Abbreviations
CN8 – 8-digit commodity code of the Combined Nomenclature
CP – customs procedure
HS2 – 2-digit commodity code of the Harmonised System
IMTS – Internationa Merchandise Trade Statistics (UN)
ITGS – international trade in goods statistics
MSs – Member States of the EU
NoT ˜– nature of transaction
NSI – National Statistical Institute
PSI – provider of statistical information
VAT – value added tax

3. Background ITGS traditionally based on customs declarations
1993. „single market” within the EU
no info about internal trade
data collection to replace former customs data (Intrastat)
HU implemented Intrastat in 2004

4. ITGS in the EU EXTRASTAT INTRASTAT Extra-EU trade Intra-EU trade
Movements of goods from/to non-EU countries EU Member States
Data source administrative stat. data collection
Coverage full partial
EXTRASTAT
INTRASTAT

5. Legal basis
Harmonised approach for the production of statistics (comparability)
Non-EU coutries – IMTS recommendations
EU MSs – regulations for Extrastat and Intrastat defining EU needs
Common methodology in line with IMTS
Directly applicable in all MSs
Define obligations for every stakeholder
PSIs – to provide correct info in due time to NSIs
MSs – to compile ITGS in line wiht the established rules and transmit to Eurostat within
the defined deadlines in the required quality
Eurostat – to collect and publish EU statistics
Some other national administrations are also obliged to provide data to NSIs
Room for national decisions
e.g. compilation method, institutional arrangements, national data needs

6. Scope
IMTS – Physical movement of goods which add to/subtract from the stock of material
resources of a country by entering /leaving its stat. territory.
Extrastat – relaxed definition of special trade, based on CPs
Exports cover goods leaving the EU with one of the following CPs
exportation
outward processing
re-exportation following either inward proessing or processing under customs control
Imports cover goods entering the EU with …
release for free circulation
inward processing
processing under customs control
Intrastat – movements of goods between MSs
in free circulation (Community goods), except those which are in simple circulation
under customs control for/after processing
List of goods excluded

7. Key role of VAT information for Intrastat
Finding intra-EU traders
values of intra-Community acquisitions/deliveries boxes
Checking declared Intrastat values at PSI level
Differences in methodology – adjustments before comparing them
Estimating missing trade
Small traders below threshold (the only info)
Non response

8. Intrastat data collected
As Intrastat replaced former customs data, the same detail has been maintained
Mandatory elements defined by EU legislation
ID number of PSI
Reference month
Flow
8-digit CN code
Partner MS (arrivals – Ms of consignment; dispatches – MS of destination)
NoT code 1st digit
Value
Quantity in net mass or suppl. Unit
Optional data in HU
NoT code 2nd digit
Country of origin on arrivals
Mode of transport
Stat. value (from the largest PSIs)
Terms of delivery (from the largest PSIs)

9. Intrastat – a burden on PSIs
Out of admin. burden on EU enterprises statistics is 2% – of which Intrastat 50%!
How to reduce the burden of Intrastat
Application of thresholds acc. to legislation
To exempt traders with small annual value (coverage rate 95% for arrivals, 97% for dispatches)
Only the largest traders declare stat. value
Aggregation of small transactions (only value and partner MS)
Collecting one quality info
Collection of less national data (users!)
Assistance to PSIs
All missing data must be estimated at least at HS2/country!

10. Some figures on the Hungarian ITGS
Characteristics
Intra-EU trade
Extra-EU trade
Share in total value of ITGS
70 – 75%
25 – 30%
Number of traders
75 –
8 000
Percentage of traders exempted
87%
n.a.
Percentage of total value not declared
2.5 – 4.5%
Percentage of PSIs exempted from declaration of stat. value
90%
Percentage of total v. declared without stat. v.
32% 0%
No of declared records/month
Share of electronic declarations (in records)
99%
100%
Share of electronic declarations (in No of PSIs)
95%

11. Thanks for your attention! lidia.basso@ksh.hu