Statistics on external trade are in high demand as they reflect the comparative advantage and the competitiveness of countries in our highly interconnected world. But, in order to be useful in international comparison, external trade statistics must comply with international norms and when these norms change, the statistical system must react and adjust as quickly as possible.
New concepts and definitions for the International Merchandise Trade Statistics (IMTS) have been discussed and adopted by the UN-Statistical Commission in February 2010. New guidelines have been issues and circulated for adapting the statistical production to the new standards and countries have started implementing them. If some of the recommendations are straight forward other may cause some troubles to the statisticians. The ENP-South countries have decided to share their experience in this area in a workshop, organised by the MEDSTAT IV project, which will be held in Brussels on March 28-30, 2017.
Representatives from the statistical institutes and from other institutions involved in the compilation of external trade statistics from the ENP-S countries will meet and work around technical presentations made by a representative from the UN Statistical Department, in charge of the international harmonisation of practices in this area, and by a representative of the “Office des Changes” in Morocco, a country where the compliance with the new standards is already very high.
For more information, please contact MEDSTAT4@expertisefrance.fr
