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A note on using Comtrade for empirical trade research

Author

Listed:
  • Masanaga Kumakura

    (Osaka City University)

Abstract

International trade statistics reported in accordance with the Harmonized System (HS) are difficult to compare across time and countries because of frequent amendments to its product classification. To ease this problem, the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) converts national trade statistics into older HS classifications and makes these recompiled statistics available through its Comtrade database. This note reviews the nature of HS amendments and the UNSD data conversion method, and considers the circumstances under which recompiled statistics may not serve as a good substitute for original statistics.

Suggested Citation

  • Masanaga Kumakura, 2009. "A note on using Comtrade for empirical trade research," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 29(2), pages 1330-1344.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-09-00256
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    File URL: http://www.accessecon.com/Pubs/EB/2009/Volume29/EB-09-V29-I2-P77.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michael Thorpe & Zhaoyang Zhang, 2005. "Study of the Measurement and Determinants of Intra‐industry Trade in East Asia," Asian Economic Journal, East Asian Economic Association, vol. 19(2), pages 231-247, June.
    2. Finger, J M, 1975. "Trade Overlap and Intra-Industry Trade," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 13(4), pages 581-589, December.
    3. Greenaway, David & Milner, Chris R, 1983. "On the Measurement of Intra-Industry Trade," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 93(372), pages 900-908, December.
    4. Lionel Fontagné & Michael Freudenberg & Guillaume Gaulier, 2006. "A Systematic Decomposition of World Trade into Horizontal and Vertical IIT," Review of World Economics (Weltwirtschaftliches Archiv), Springer;Institut für Weltwirtschaft (Kiel Institute for the World Economy), vol. 142(3), pages 459-475, October.
    5. repec:bla:ecorec:v:47:y:1971:i:120:p:494-517 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Yu, Dayong, 2008. "The harmonized system: amendments and their impact on WTO members' schedules," WTO Staff Working Papers ERSD-2008-02, World Trade Organization (WTO), Economic Research and Statistics Division.
    7. Greenaway, David & Hine, Robert C & Milner, Chris, 1995. "Vertical and Horizontal Intra-industry Trade: A Cross Industry Analysis for the United Kingdom," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 105(433), pages 1505-1518, November.
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    Cited by:

    1. Lord, Montague, 2015. "Regional Economic Integration in Central Asia and South Asia," MPRA Paper 66436, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Harmonized System; Comtrade; Data Conversion; Intra-Industry Trade; Information Technology Equipment;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F1 - International Economics - - Trade

    Statistics

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