Certain types of goods or movements of goods (such as certain industrial equipment, aircraft, military goods, waste products or electricity and gas) are subject to specific rules.

Data source

The customs declaration* for imported or exported goods is considered as the main source for recording statistical data.

However, EU countries are free to use other data sources to produce their national statistics.

Statistical data

For each monthly reference period, EU countries produce statistics relating to external trade in goods. These statistics are expressed in value and quantity, in particular according to:

the type of goods;
the importing or exporting country;
the statistical procedure;
the nature of the transaction;
preferential treatment on import;
the mode of transport.

Each year, EU countries compile statistics on external trade in goods and business characteristics, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 177/2008, in relation to:

the economic activity carried out by the enterprise, according to the section of the EU’s common statistical classification of economic activities (NACE*);
the number of employees.

Statistics are prepared using data relating to business characteristics and import and export data.

Every 2 years, EU countries draw up statistics on trade in imported or exported goods broken down by invoicing currency. These statistics are compiled using a representative sample of records on imports and exports from customs declarations. If the invoicing currency for exports is not available on the customs declaration, a survey must be carried out to collect the required data.

EU countries may compile additional statistics for national purposes where the data are available on the customs declaration.

Data exchange

Data from records on imports and exports declared to customs authorities must be sent to the national statistical authorities within 1 month. These records must include a minimum amount of statistical data.

Transmission of external trade statistics to the European Commission (Eurostat)

Monthly statistics on external trade must be sent to the Eurostat within 40 days following the end of each reference month. If the statistics are revised, updates must be sent to Eurostat.

Quality assessment

Statistics sent to Eurostat must be precise, up-to-date, relevant, clear and accessible for users.

EU countries must provide Eurostat with a report on the quality of the statistics transmitted for Eurostat to assess their quality.

FROM WHEN DOES THE REGULATION APPLY?

It has applied since 1 January 2010.

BACKGROUND

This regulation is part of an initiative to make the EU’s statistical system more transparent.

For more information, see:

International trade — goods (Eurostat).

KEY TERMS

Goods: all movable property, including electricity.

Statistical territory of the EU: the customs territory of the EU as defined in the Customs Code with the addition of the Island of Heligoland in the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Customs declaration: the customs declaration as defined in the EU Customs Code.

NACE: the acronym comes from the French Nomenclature statistique des activités économiques dans la Communauté européenne. Various versions have been developed since 1970.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Regulation (EC) No 471/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 May 2009 on Community statistics relating to external trade with non-member countries and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1172/95 (OJ L 152, 16.6.2009, pp. 23-29)

Successive amendments to Regulation (EC) No 471/2009 have been incorporated into the original document. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.