A Selected Guide to Resources

I. Dictionaries, Guides, and Handbooks
II. Trade Classification Schedules
III.International Trade Data
IV. Developed Countries Trade Data (OECD and EU)
V. United States Trade Data
VI. Other Countries and Regions Trade Data (Taiwan, Former Soviet Union; Arab States; Latin America; China; Japan; Canada)


This bibliography is an overview and sampling of current trade data available at Princeton University. Please consult the catalogs and reference librarians in SSRC for additional resources. For ongoing series, descriptions are based on current volumes. In many cases, what is presented currently may not be available for past years.

A. Dictionaries

HE567.B65 1995 (SXF)
Branch, Alan E. Dictionary of Shipping, International Business Trade Terms, and Abbreviations. London: Witherby, 1995.

HF1371.D43 2996 (SXF)
Deardorf, Alan V. Terms of Trade: Glossary of International Terms . Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, 2006.

HF1373.D53 1996 (SXF)
Dictionary of International Trade Terms. Buffalo, NY: W.S. Hein, 1996.

HF1705.E53 2003 (SXF)
Encyclopedia of Tariffs and Trade in U.S. History. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2003.
Three volume set covering trade from the 1600s to 2003.

HF1373.G57 1994 (SXF)
Gipson, Carolyn R. The McGraw-Hill Dictionary of International Trade and Finance. New York: McGraw Hill, 1994.

HJ6606.W67 1995 (SXF)
Glossary of International Customs Terms. Brussels: World Customs Organization, 1995.

HF1373.G66 2007 (SXF)
Goode, William. Dictionary of Trade Policy Terms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.

HF1373.H55 2005 (SXF)
Hinkelman, Edward G. Dictionary of International Trade. Novato, California: World Trade Press, 2005.

HF1373.H55 2005 (SXF)
Northrup, Cynthia Clark. Encyclopedia of World Trade: From Ancient Times to the Present . Armonk, New York: Sharpe, 2005.

HF1373.R67 1994 (SXF)
Rosenberg, Jerry M. Dictionary of International Trade. New York: Wiley, 1994.

B. Guides and Handbooks

Z7164.C8S33 1997 (SXF)
Schrieber, Mae N. International Trade Sources: A Research Guide. New York: Garland, 1997.
This detailed guide to sources on international trade is an excellent way to begin research. Regional, country, and industry sources are profiled. Also includes sources for regulations, laws, trade agreements, and classification codes.

International Trade Web Resources
http://www.fita.org/webindex/index.html
Searchable database of International Trade Web Resources on the Internet prepared by the Federation of International Trade Associations.

PREX9.10: (DOCS)
National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers
1986-
Reports on trade barriers (tariff and non-tariff) on a country by country basis for nations trading with the United States. Includes import policies; standards, testing, labeling, and certification; government procurement; export subsidies; lack of intellectual property protection; sevices barriers; investment barriers; anticompetitive practices with trade effects tolerated by foreign governments; and trade restrictions affecting electronic commerce.

Some of the most commonly used trade related concordances and classifications are:

CN Combined Nomenclature
HS Harmonized System
ISIC International Standard Industrial Classification
NACE General Industrial Classification of Economic Activities within the European Communities
NAICS North American Industrial Classification System
SIC Standard Industrial Classification
SITC Standard International Trade Classification

A. International

Correspondence Table HS2002-CPC Version 1.1 - SITC Rev. 3. - ISIC Rev. 3.1
Correspondence Tables (Central Product Classification, Standard International Trade Classification, and International Standard Industrial Classification) with the Harmonised System.

HD 2328.I573 1994 (SXF)
International Concordance between the Industrial Classifications of the United Nations (ISIC REV 3), Canada (1980 SIC), European Union (NACE REV 1) and the United States (1987 SIC)
Shows relationship between the 4 digit level of U.S., Canadian and European Union industrial classifications, with the 4 digit level of ISIC, Rev. 3, of the United Nations.

HF1041.U55 2004
International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities, 3^rd revision (ISIC, Rev 3.1) (United Nations)
Revision of ISIC economic activity classifications for 2-4 digit level, effective 2004. Includes correspondence tables between ISIC rev 2 and rev 3.1.

HF1041.U56 2006 (SSRC)
Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) Rev. 4 (United Nations)
Statistical classification, developed by the United Nations, to facilitate international comparison of commodity trade data. Based on Harmonized System (HS). Covers all goods classifiable except for monetary gold, gold coin, and current coin. Includes correspondence tables to the HS codes. 1-5 digit codes. Note that most data still uses Revision 3.

• Revision 3 published in 1986 [(SSRC) HF1041.U56 1986]
• Revision 2 published in 1975 [(SSRC) HF1041.U56 1975]
• Revision 1 published in 1961 [(UN) XVII.series M no. 31-37]
• 2nd ed. published in 1951 [(UN) XVII.series M no. 1-10]
• Original published in 1950 [(UN) XVII.series M no. 1-10].
  

Sources in this section cover many nations. Data is often fairly general but may be the only place to find data for non-developed countries. More specific data related to the OECD, European Union, United States, and other select nations can be found in the rest of the guide.

Throughout various periods of time, certain countries have not been recognized by the United Nations or have not been members of major international organizations such as the International Monetary Fund. Other "countries", such as Hong Kong, are actually territories and, as such, their data is either included with its "parent" country or in their own statistical publications. Availability of data changes vastly over time. Many countries that were once excluded from major compilations are now included. See SSRC reference librarians for assistance.

World Trade Analyzer: (Statistics Canada. International Trade Division )
World Trade Analyzer is a matrix of international trade flows, created from data reported by member countries of the United Nations Statistical Office and broken down by partner country and commodity. Data are annual and the records extend over the period, 1980 forward. There is typically a 3 year delay in reporting. For data prior to 1980, see NBER Trade Data. Note that one will sometimes find trade within a country. For statistical purposes territories are often grouped into the trade of the parent nation. Small neighboring nations sometimes receive the same treatment. Statistics Canada provides a listing. CD-ROM in SSRC. DSS Study no. 2592

UN Comtrade Database
1962+. Provides selected trade series from 30 specialized international data sources for all available countries and areas recognized by the United Nations. For a listing of countries and commodities along with definitions and sources, see the guide from UN Comtrade. Available in paper and microfiche as Commodity Trade Statistics. (United Nations) 1951-1998. Title varies. Each annual volume covers the imports and exports of one country. 1949-1950 data can be found in Summary of World Trade Statistics (HF91.U55). For 1951-1994, see HF91.U5. Also in (SSRC Microforms) UN Collection Microform Cabinet 66.

NBER Trade Data
Contains World Trade Database, 1970-1992 and the Compatible Trade and Production (COMTAP) database assembled by the OECD which contains production of manufactured goods in OECD countries and bilateral trade flows between these countries and all their trading partners over 1970-1985. For instructions on using, see http://firestone.princeton.edu/econlib/nber.html.

WiserTrade. International trade database which includes 4 U.S. state level export series, U.S. exports and imports by customs district & by individual port, as well as EU, Canadian (by province), Chinese (by province), and Japanese and Taiwanese trade statistics.

World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS)
World Bank and UNCTAD data on trade, tariffs, and non-tariff measures. Requires installation and registration. Installed in SSRC on workstation 10.

SSRC, Stokes Library Workstations
Datastream International: use to find up to date as well as historical international data on trade as well as other economic indicators. Data is derived from national governments, central banks, the International Monetary Fund, OECD, and other non-governmental agencies. Coverage varies by country. Use program 150Z to get a list of countries available.

Global Insight (formerly DRI University Program): use to find trade and economic data from the International Monetary Fund as well as various foreign governments.

Direction of Trade Statistics: Reports imports and exports by trading partners. Values in U.S. dollars. Data is from 1948 to the present. Available through Global Insight. Also available in paper as Direction of Trade Statistics Quarterly. (1960-Present). (HF1007.D63) (Current Issues in SSRC Stack 2; Also available in IIS (3840-P4) (Microforms)) Title varies. Reports imports and exports by trading partners. Values in U.S. dollars. Many of the series are cumulated in Direction of Trade Statistics Yearbook [HF1007.D631; Current Volume - SXF Ready Ref; IIS 3840-S1]. For methodology, see the periodic report Guide to Direction of Trade Statistics {(SXF) HF1007.D632 1993}. Prior to 1960, data was contained in International Financial Statistics.

International Financial Statistics (1948-Present)
Reports values of imports and exports of main commodities in U.S. dollars and national currencies. Data can be found electronically on Global Insight (1948-Present) and Datastream International (1970-Present). Also available in paper as International Financial Statistics. (HG219.I69; Current Issues in SSRC Stack 3; also available in IIS (3840-P5) (Microforms)). Many of the series are cumulated in International Financial Statistics Yearbook [HG3881.I574; Current Volume - SXF Ready Ref; IIS 3840-S2].

Statistical yearbooks, quarterlies, monthlies, web sites, etc.
Princeton University Library has a rich collection of statistical yearbooks, quarterlies, and monthlies from many countries. For current issues of statistical yearbooks, see the collection next to Ready Reference in SSRC. A backup collection on microfiche can be found in SSRC microfiche cabinet 78. To find other publications, perform a Guided Search in the Main Catalog by searching for "statistics" as a subject in the 1st box and the country as a subject in the 2nd box. Some titles can also be found in Index to International Statistics which is located on SSRC Index table I9. (1983-Present) Contains many citations, under Foreign Trade, to country and International Government Organizations data. Part of Lexis-Nexis Statistical.

Lexis-Nexis Statistical
Provides Web access to American Statistical Index, Index to International Statistics, and Statistical Reference Index and the multitude of international trade sources contained in those indexes.

EIU Country Profiles and Reports. (Economist Intelligence Unit).
Reports are a quarterly analysis of major trends in the economies of the world. Includes forecasts for the upcoming year and evaluation of foreign trade data. Supplements provide background data on economic and political developments in each country. A summary of the year is presented in the Profile. For prior to 1996, see the older issues in Firestone stacks. (titles changed often, use keyword searching in the Main Catalog)

HF1.U56 and Stack 85 - Series G (UN)
IIS (3080-S15) (Microforms)
International Trade Statistics Yearbook. (United Nations) 1950-Present. Volume I. Trade by Country. For individual countries, values of imports/exports by principal trading patterns or by commodity categories. Volume II. Trade by Commodity. For commodity categories, imports/exports by country. Commodity Matrix Tables: quantity and value for all commodity classes by major trading partners. Values in U.S. dollars. Annual data. Use SITC to determine classification codes.

(SSRC) HF91 .H35q
UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics.
Provides a collection of statistical data relevant to the analysis of world trade, investment and development, for individual countries and for economic and trade groupings. Data are presented in an analytical way, through the use of rank orderings, growth rates and other special calculations, with a view to facilitate their interpretation. Also offers: export/import concentration indices by product; diversification and structural change in trade indices; and instability indices of prices of primary commodities. Each year receives a different Sales number. Also available on CD-ROM. Ask at the SSRC Desk for DSS Study Number 5015. This title continues Handbook of International Trade and Development Statistics (1964-1995) located at HF91.H35 and also available on microfiche in IIS 4050-S1.

HF1371.A5665 (Current Volume - SSRC Ready Reference)
IIS (4790-S7.2) (Microforms) International Trade Statistics. Presents detailed data on merchandise and services trade patterns worldwide. Monetary values are expressed in U.S. dollars. 2000-Present. Title, format, and issuing agency have changed many times over the years. For 1996-1999, see World Trade Organization Annual Report (HF1371.A56) or (IIS 4790-S7). See HF499.I573 for 1991-1995 data (IIS 3480-S1). See HF497.C76 for 1952-1990 data (IIS 3480-S1).

HF1371.A56 (Current Volume - SSRC Ready Reference)
IIS (4790-S7) (Microforms) World Trade Organization. Annual Report. Useful for not only the WTO's activities but summaries of changes in conditions in world trade and regional arrangments.

HD1421.F3667 (Current Volume - SXF)
FAO Statistical Yearbook. (United Nations) 2004-Present. Title varies. Issued annually, reports values of imports and exports by country for agricultural commodities. For countries, reports values of imports and exports by commodity. Also reports consumption. Includes volume indexes. Values in U.S. dollars with conversion tables for national currencies. For 1947-1957, see part two of its predecessor Yearbook of Food Agricultural Statistics (HD1421.Y4). For 1958-2003, see FAO Yearbook. Trade. (HD1421.Y4) (IIS (3410-S7) (Microforms))

Oversize HA41 .U59q and (UN) XVII, Series S
IIS (3080-S16) (Microforms)
Statistical Yearbook. (United Nations) 1948- Present. Section of external trade reports imports and exports by commodity class for selected trading partner, countries, and regions. In U.S. dollars with conversion table for national currencies. Also includes volume and price indexes. Some data goes back to 1928. Also available on CD-ROM. Ask at the SSRC Desk for DSS Study 5004. This series continues Statistical Yearbook of the League of Nations which covers the period 1926-1944.

PITN 600.652.
Current issues in SSRC (Stack 5)
IIS (3080-P2) (Microforms)
Monthly Bulletin of Statistics. (United Nations) 1947- . Provides total imports and exports for individual countries in U.S. dollars and quantity indexes. Includes conversion tables. Monthly, quarterly, annual data. Preceded by Monthly Bulletin of Statistics (League of Nations) which is shelved in the same location. Some data dates back to 1913.

World Trade Organization (WTO)
The World Trade Organization is the international organization responsible for administering WTO trade agreements and GATT. It serves as a forum for trade negotiations, handles trade disputes, and monitors national trade policies.

Federation of International Trade Associations
The Federation of International Trade Associations (FITA), founded in 1984, fosters international trade by strengthening the role of local, regional, and national associations throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada that have an international mission.

In addition Northwestern University provides links to many foreign government and international governmental organization homepages.



IV. Developed Countries Trade Data

A. OECD Countries:

Sources in this section cover the OECD nations. These nations are also contained in many of the sources in the international section but the OECD sources may be more detailed. The European Union and United States sections which follow may provide even more detailed data.

International trade by commodities statistics (OECD)
Gives full commodity and partner country detail, 1961-. Different countries and areas of trade. SITC Rev. 2 contains data back to 1961. Though Revision 3 contains more variables, its data begins in 1990. Also available as an annual under various titles and in paper (HF91.F674q; current volume - SSRC Ready Reference) and on microfiche ( IIS (2300-S39) (Microforms)). Annual series of reports on value of foreign trade for 25 OECD countries by SITC 1 to 2 digit commodity and partner country, world, region, and economic groupings. Data are classified according to the SITC (Standard International Trade Classification) or HS (Harmonised System) classification. The first four volumes contain data for individual countries. Volume 5 presents data for OECD regions, economic groupings, and the OECD as a whole.

Main Economic Indicators. (OECD) 1960- .
Reports total value (in national currencies) of imports and exports for OECD countries. Also available in paper (HC10.O64q) and on microfiche (IIS (2300-P5) (Microforms)). Paper dates back to 1955.

HF91.O672; IIS (2300-P6) (Microforms)
Monthly Statistics of International Trade. (OECD) 1974- . (Various titles) For OECD member countries, provides exports and imports of broad commodity categories and exports and imports by trading partner countries. Values in U.S. dollars with conversion tables for national currencies. Monthly, quarterly, and annual data.

HD9980.4.S47
IIS (2300-S92) (Microforms)
OECD Statistics on International Trade in Services (various titles)
Available as data through OECD Statistics on International Trade in Services.
Annual report, 1970-Present, of data on service trade, investment, intellectual property income and comparisons to total merchandise trade.

B. European Union:

Comext (Intra and Extra-EU Trade Statistics)
Combines various paper products many of which have ceased being printed. (1) External and Intra-European Union Trade. Monthly Statistics. 1986-. (Various titles). Monthly report presenting detailed external trade data for 15 EU countries, by SITC 1 to 2 digit commodity and country, world region, and/or economic grouping. Includes data on trade with the rest of the world and with non-EU trading partners, for total EU and individual member countries. Covers all transactions in movable goods involving European Union nations. 1976+ IIS (1600-P6) (Microforms) (2) External Trade: Analytical Tables (HS) (Annual - Series C) Most detailed published tables of EU trade, by broad subject groupings, using NIMEXE classification. Exports and imports to 6 digit NIMEXE codes. Formerly titled Analytical tables of foreign trade. NIMEXE, 1970 to 1989 edition. Ceased in paper in 1990. SSRC EU Microforms Exports: IIS 1300-S38 Imports: IIS 1300-S23 (Microforms). (3) External Trade: Analytical Tables (SITC) (Annual - Series B) Detailed intra- and extra- Community trade figures, using SITC. Published since 1958 (called CST until 1976) Title changed from Analytical tables of foreign trade. SITC in 1989. Exports and imports to 1-5 digit level. Ceased in paper in 1990. SSRC EU Microfiche
Exports: IIS 1300-S38; Imports IIS 1300-S23 (Microforms).

Sectoral and Trade Barriers Database (European Union)
Provides text of trade barriers in 34 non-European Union countries, and trade statistics between EU and these nations.

HF3500.5.A395q and IIS (1600-S13) (Microforms)
External and Intra-European Union Trade, Statistical Yearbook. 1958-Present. (Various titles). Paper ceased in 1996. Annual report presenting historical trade data by selected commodity and partner country, world region, and economic grouping for 15 EU countries with some comparisons to other countries and regions.

IIS 1600-S23 (Microforms)
International Trade in Services: EU
Annual report on international trade in services by type and merchandise trade for EU countries, EU-12 and EU-15 with comparisons to US, Canada, Japan, and Norway.

IIS 1600-S1 (Microforms)
External Trade: System of Generalized Tariff Preferences (GSP)Imports.
Annual report of detailed data on GSP and special trade imports, by commodity and partner country.

Statistics in Focus: External Trade
Series of short reports presenting data on trade of EU countries, by specific geographic areas, such as ACP (African, Caribbean, and Pacific) countries, and for specific sectors, such as high-technology products. Also available in microfiche (Microforms IIS 1600-S7).

IIS1600-S25 (Microforms)
External Trade of the European Union with ACP Countries and the OCTs.
Annual report on EU trade with ACP (African, Caribbean and Pacific) countries and overseas country and territory, with summary comparison to imports from total, non EU countries, all by major CN product, for total EU.

HF2031 .E91 1960/61-Present.
IIS 1580-S1 (Microforms)
Annual Report of the European Free Trade Association
Annual report on EFTA activities, summary data on budget, and socioeconomic indicators, including trade.

V. United States Trade Data

Sources in this section cover the United States. Data for the United States is also contained in many of the sources in the international and OECD sections but the United States sources may be more detailed.

A. National Level Trade Data

C 3.278/2: (Exports) (SSRC CD-ROM Cabinet 1)
C 3.278/3: (Imports) (SSRC CD-ROM Cabinet 1)
U.S. Imports/Exports, 1989-Present.
Data covers 17,000 import commodities, 9,000 export commodities, for 240 trading partners; quantity, value, method of transport, monthly with cumulative year to date statistics. Historic disks provide five year summaries. Users who do not have the Citrix ICA program may access the database via the Java client.

NBER Trade Database: U.S. Exports, 1972-1994.
Exports by SIC and SITC code for 1972-1994. Includes state level exports for 1991-1994.

Trade Data Online
From Strategis, web site maintained by Industry Canada. Provides U.S./Canadian export/import data by HS code, up to 6 digits, or by US and Canadian SIC codes.

HF105.A213
United States Foreign Trade Highlights (annual) 1967-Present.
(United States International Trade Administration)
Statistical tables on US exports and imports with major trading partners and regions. Emphasis on goods trade, aggregate exports and imports, and US commodity and country/regional trade balances. Only US Dept. of Commerce report with detailed commodity data for exports and imports that are consistent over time.

HF1750.A5 (Current volume in SSRC)
Year in Trade (annual)
(United States International Trade Commission)
Historical record of the major trade-related activities of US, includes statistics and major trade related activities.

HC106.6.U5 (Current volume on SXF Ready Reference)
U.S. Industry and Trade Outlook 1998- (last published in 2000)
Successor to U.S. Industrial Outlook and U.S. Global Trade Outlook, 1995-2000. Based on SIC codes, and NAICS (from 1/1/97), covers industry reviews including world market share, international trade data, trends and forecasts, and data for exports and imports for 6 major areas of the world.


B. State Level Trade Data

WiserTrade. International trade database which includes 4 U.S. state level export series, U.S. exports and imports by customs district & by individual port.

Trade Stats Express - State Export Data (United States Department of Commerce)
Provides state and regional exports of merchandise.

SSRC Index Table I8-I9
Statistical Reference Index, 1987-Present, under Foreign Trade, contains many references to state and local level trade data. Included in Lexis-Nexis Statistical.

State Exports to Countries and Regions (U.S. International Trade Administration)
Export data for limited number of major U.S. export markets.

(SXF) HF1416.5.F68 2001
Foreign Trade of the United States including state and metro area export data
Bernan Press, 2nd edition, 2001. Provides highlights of U.S. international transactions, foreign trade in services and goods, state exports of goods, and metropolitan exports of goods.

VI. Other Countries and Regions Trade Data

A. Taiwan

Monthly Statistics of Exports and Imports in Taiwan Area, R.O.C.

(note that Wisertrade also includes trade data from Taiwan)

B. Former Soviet Bloc

HC244.C186
COMECON Data
Biennial publication that included foreign trade data for the following East European countries: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, the U.S.S.R. and Yugoslavia. Provides excellent source list. Holdings: 1979, 1983, 1987, 1990 (final edition).

published alternately with

HF3491.C65
COMECON Foreign Trade Data
Holdings: 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986.

C. Arab Countries

IIS 1100-S6 (Microforms)
Foreign Trade of Arab Countries.
Annual report on the trade of 19 AMF member countries. Data among Arab countries and with the rest of the world by selected partner and selected commodity.

D. Latin America

DATAINTAL (Inter-American Development Bank)
International trade data for exports and imports by partner for countries of the Western Hemisphere. Queries at 6 digit level of the HS, 5 digit level of SITC and 4 digit level of ISIC. English, Spanish or Portugese.

Integrated Database of Trade Disputes for Latin America and the Caribbean (United Nations ECLAC)
Summary statistics and case studies of trade disputes among Latin American and Caribbean trading partners.

E. Canada, Japan, and China.

WiserTrade. International trade database which includes 4 U.S. state level export series, U.S. exports and imports by customs district & by individual port, as well as EU, Canadian (by province), Chinese (by province), Taiwanese, and Japanese trade statistics.

Bobray Bordelon
Last updated 5/1/2008