Announcing ITDU's Fall 2006 Trade Data Conference
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Announcing ITDU’s Fall Trade Data Conference, in co-operation with the International Trade Center/RRB December 5, followed by a Trade Data Workshop December 6
In January 2007 major changes will be made to the Harmonized System (HS). The HS commodity coding system forms the structure for compiling worldwide trade statistics, and is used as the basis for applying import duties. The ITDU Conference will highlight these changes and their impact. Presenters will discuss implications on commodity coding structure, historical trade data continuity, impact on database systems, and their effects on application of import duties. The United Nations will review the implications on world-wide trade measurement and will discuss the newly-released SITC Rev.4 coding system.
The following day we will hold a Trade Data Workshop. This setting will permit us to go into more detail on trade data than a conference permits. It will cover how trade data is collected, the documents used, define the terminology, review how the U.S. Census Bureau – FTD processes trade data and corrects errors. It will also review U.S. trade data products and demonstrate Internet access. We will discuss areas prone to misinterpretation in using trade data. Besides the Census Bureau, we also will have presentations of on-line access to trade data by other government agencies such as the ITC, ITA, STAT-USA, as well as commercial companies providing access on a subscription basis. In addition, the United Nations will discuss their world-wide data system and Internet access. At the end of the day participants will have an in-depth understanding of trade data, how it’s collected, processed, what’s available, and how to access it (free and subscription-based).
Conference December 5 – Workshop December 6
8:00 am Registration
International Trade Center/Ronald Reagan Bldg. Hemisphere B
We’ll be posting the program details and registration information shortly.
Washington Post Article 11/1/2002: "Phony Prices May Hide Import-Export Profits From IRS"
Washington Post article of November 1, 2002 discusses how inflated import prices may be used to artificially reduce tax liabilities of companies. See article.
From Agence France Press: China commerce chief says US trade data inflated
From Agence France-Press (June 1 2006): China on Wednesday accused the US of inflating its trade deficit figures and said the appreciation of its own currency would do little to improve Beijing’s trade surplus.
“US statistics have inflated the bilateral trade imbalance,” Chinese Commerce Minister Bo Xilai said in remarks published on his ministry’s website.
According to previously released Chinese statistics, Beijing’s trade surplus with Washington last year was 114 billion dollars, but US methods of calculation put the deficit with China at a record 202 billion dollars.
Job opportunity
The Congressional Research Service of the Library of Congress has a job posting for a librarian, with a focus in international trade and economics.
Since the application deadline is soon, those interested should refer to the job posting at USAjobs
