TRADE MICRODATA: The OECD-Eurostat Trade by

Enterprise Characteristics (TEC) Database

Working Party on International Trade in Goods and Trade in Services Statistics (WPTGS)

Paris, 8 November 2011

Plan of the presentation:

Status of the Handbook on Trade Micro-data: Inform on progress Approve the content list Consider the feasibility of answering a small survey

intending to enhance the quality of the Handbook:– addressing information gaps – meeting methodological concerns

Status of the OECD-Eurostat TEC Database: Inform on progress

Future Perspectives on TEC: Enhance TEC’s potential to meet policy needs Comment on feasibility and prioritisation of proposed

topics

HANDBOOK ON TRADE MICRO-DATA

Content:

1.Rationale for Trade Micro-data What can we learn about the microstructure of

international trade? How is that useful to inform policy making?

- TEC database- Countries’ experiences in how trade micro-data has

been used to inform policy

2.Methodological Chapter Building a Trade Register Linking Trade and Business Registers Quality Indicators Potential for more Micro-data Linkage

Content (2):

3. The OECD-Eurostat TEC Database

Role of OECD and Eurostat and cooperation

TEC Questionnaire

Content (indicators, breakdowns, data availability)

Structure (dataset organisation)

Concepts and Definitions

Feedback Required:• Approval of content and structure

• Further suggestions on content

• Evaluate the possibility of answering a survey on:– How trade micro-data has been used to inform

policy – Experience on micro-data linkage – Methodological guidance and/or problems

encountered (trade register: thresholds, data sources, longitudinal dimension)

– Issues on international comparability

THE OECD-EUROSTATTRADE BY ENTERPRISE

CHARACTERISTICS DATABASE (TEC)

2011 Update:• Countries:

– Extended TEC to new countries but others have not yet responded

• Years: 2008-2009 (2010 for Turkey)

• Main Changes: ISIC 3.1 to ISIC 4

• Data gaps

• Quality: Matching Ratios

Exporting is not everyone’s business

(2008 data)

Export Propensity Increases with Firm Size

(2008 data)

Evolution of Export Share of Large Firms

FUTURE PERSPECTIVES: ENHANCING TEC’S

POTENTIAL

Project Proposal

Methodological Improvements: Reducing unmatched data Tackling confidentiality Total Number of Enterprises for EU Member Countries Achieving comparable Trade by Commodity Groups

Statistics

Extending TEC by Incorporating New Variables: Firm level characteristics: Ownership and Turnover Adding a longitudinal dimension: new, persistent

exporters Include Trade in Services Measuring the Value-Added of Exports Clarifying the Role of Intermediaries in International

Trade

Clarifying the Role of IntermediariesWholesalers and Retailers (% of total exporting enterprises, 2009)

14

Clarifying the Role of Intermediaries Wholesalers and Retailers (% of total importing enterprises, 2009)

15

Clarifying the Role of Intermediaries International Trade in Goods by Economic Sectors

(% of total trade, 2009)

16

% of total exports

Agriculture Industry Trade Services Unspecified Total

Canada 1.6% 71.6% 10.5% 16.4% - 100.0%

Israel 1.0% 76.6% 18.3% 3.3% 0.9% 100.0%

Turkey 0.1% 59.9% 34.5% 5.5% - 100.0%

United States 0.4% 63.0% 25.1% 11.5% - 100.0%

EU average 0.4% 56.8% 19.3% 11.0% 12.5% 100.0%

% of total imports

Agriculture Industry Trade Services Unspecified Total

Canada 0.5% 48.5% 40.8% 10.3% - 100.0%

Turkey 0.0% 54.6% 31.5% 13.9% - 100.0%

United States 0.1% 47.0% 41.6% 11.3% - 100.0%

EU average 0.2% 37.5% 38.3% 12.8% 11.1% 100.0%

Feedback Required:• Comment on overall proposal

• Prioritisation:– Extend TEC to trade in services

– Using trade micro-data to improve the estimates of trade in value-added measures

– Clarifying the Role of Intermediaries

– Adding more firm characteristics

Thank you very much for your attention!

sonia.araujo@oecd.org