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3 February 2012
click for larger image

What is the value-added of official statistics
in the measurement of trade

29 February 2012, 1:50 - 2:50 pm
ECOSOC Chamber, Temporary North Lawn Building
United Nations, New York

Traditionally, a country’s official merchandise export statistics is treated as an indication of the economic value-added of the trade to the country’s gross domestic product. In a similar sense, bilateral trade balances are seen as indications of the balance of economic interests between two trading partners. Discussions on globalization, goods for processing, the geographical fragmentation of the production process and trade in value-added have challenged the notion that current trade figures reflect the value-added of trade.

What does this mean for the use of official trade statistics? And which data would be needed for trade negotiations and for calculating trade imbalances?

The Seminar will present view points of the international organizations and two prominent national statistical offices.

Organizer: United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD)
Seminar Programme
Chair: Mr. Enrico Giovannini, President of the Italian National Institute of Statistics(ISTAT)
 
Presenters:
  Mr. Ronald Jansen, Chief of Trade Statistics Branch, UN Statistics Division, DESA
- Presentation by UNSD unsd_presentation
  Mr. Paul Schreyer, Deputy Director of the Statistics Directorate, OECD
- Presentation by OECD oecd_presentation
  Mr. Hubert Escaith, Chief Statistician, World Trade Organization
- Presentation by WTO wto_presentation
  Mr. Rob Vos, Director, Development Policy and Analysis Division, DESA
 
Presenter and Discussant:
  Dr. Eduardo Sojo, President of the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) of Mexico
- Presentation by INEGI inegi_presentation