United Nations Expert Group on International Merchandise Trade Statistics(EG IMTS)
Towards IMTS, Rev.3

The Expert Group on International Merchandise Trade Statistics (EG-IMTS) was established by the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) to assist in the revision of the existing UN recommendations on international merchandise trade statistics published in International Trade Statistics, Concepts and Definitions (Statistical Papers, Series M, No. 52, Rev.2) - IMTS, Rev.2.

The EG IMTS has the following objectives:

• to ensure active country involvement in the revision of the recommendations for international merchandise trade statistics;
• to review and endorse the draft revised recommendations;
• to provide guidance on the implementation of the revised recommendations after their adoption by the Statistical Commission.

At its thirty-ninth session (26 - 29 February 2008) the Statistical Commission endorsed the United Nations Statistics Division initiative and strategy to revise the existing recommendations for international merchandise trade statistics and requested that the draft revised recommendations be submitted to the Commission for adoption at its forty-first session in 2010.

Please see the following documents of the thirty-ninth session of the Statistical Commission:

    Report of the Secretary-General on international merchandise trade statistics

    Draft Report on the thirty-ninth session (see decision 39/109)

First Expert Group Meeting – New York, 3-6 December 2007

    List of documents

    Final Report

Worldwide consultation, May-June 2008

    Letter to countries: [English], [French], [Spanish], [Russian]

    Consultation paper: [English], [French], [Spanish], [Russian]

For further information contact:

Mr. Matthias Reister
International Trade Statistics Section
Statistics Division
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Tel:    +1 917-367-7098
Email: reister@un.org