Regional Workshop on International Merchandise Trade Statistics (IMTS)

Overview
Agenda

Between 2015 and 2016, the Central Bank of El Salvador (BCR) worked jointly on a South-South cooperation project with the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), which included a regional workshop, observation visits to Paraguay and Mexico to learn about the functioning of international trade statistics systems and a technical assistance program to improve the quality of statistics.

In line with the above, the BCR, aware of the need for timely, quality statistical information consistent with the mission of generating and disseminating economic information for the formulation of public policies and contributing to the development of the country, based on the cooperation provided by the United Nations Department of Statistics, has worked steadily to improve the quality of statistics through the creation of an information system, the expansion of coverage, the dissemination of broader information and the development of new data visualization tools for the public.

Following-up on the success of the UNSD- BCR collaboration regarding enhancing capacity for the production and dissemination of IMTS, the BCR and the UNSD are again undertaking joint efforts to organize this workshop that seeks to share the results of the development of El Salvador's foreign trade system, and experiences of the countries of the region in specific topics. The workshop will also sensitize the planned revisions to the Trade Statistics Manuals and lay the foundations for countries to compile foreign trade statistics with the new methodology.

The workshop will be held in English and Spanish. Simultaneous two-way translation of Spanish to English and English to Spanish will be provided.

Monday, 23 October

08:30 – 10:30

Session 1: Welcome remarks and introductions

Registration (8:30-9:00am)
Introduction of participants (20 minutes)
Welcome remarks by the United Nations – UNSD Director, and the UN Resident Coordinator ad interim (10 minutes)
Welcome remarks by BCR de El Salvador – President (15 minutes)
Group photo (10 minutes)
Cultural presentation/exhibition (30 minutes)

10:50 – 12:30

Session 2: Topics of interest on the compilation of foreign trade statistics

(2hrs, including discussions)

Recap of the core IMTS 2010 concepts/definitions: scope, trade system, valuation, and classifications
(Presentation by Vysaul Nyirongo — 50 minutes with discussions)
UN Comtrade data processing and dissemination
(Presentation by Jiayue Zeng — 35 minutes with discussions)
Regional Dissemination of Merchandise Trade Statistics
(Presentation by Alejandra Ovalle — 35 minutes with discussions)

14:00 – 15:00

Session 3: Ways of strengthening the generation of international merchandise trade statistics

(1hr, including discussions)

Customs Clearance Model
(Presentation by Luis Córdova and Alma González — 40 minutes with discussions)
Institutional arrangements and the process for the generation of statistics on international merchandise trade in Mexico
(Presentation by José Francisco Cuiriz — 20 minutes with discussions)

15:00 – 17:30

Session 4: El Salvador's International Trade Statistics System for Goods and Services (SECIMS)

(Presentation by Kevin Ramírez and Luis Eduardo Amaya — 2hrs with system navigation and discussions)

Tuesday, 24 October

8:30 – 12:30

Session 5: Case studies, national and international experiences (8:30am)

(3hr 30 min, including discussions)

Belize: Merchandise Trade Statistics
(Presentation by Tiffany Vasquez and Jair Santoya — 30 minutes with discussions)
Guatemala Foreign Trade Statistics
(Presentation by Magda Herrera and Werner Salguero — 30 minutes with discussions)
Statistics Of Foreign Trade Of Goods In Honduras
(Presentation by Esther Salinas — 45 minutes with discussions)
Nicaragua: Foreign Trade Statistics
(Presentation by Isbel Velásquez and David Valle — 30 minutes with discussions)
National practices and challenges in the compilation of trade statistics: Selected Caribbean Countries
(Presentation by Esmond McLean — 45 minutes with discussions)
Analysis and reduction of bilateral merchandise trade asymmetries in North America
(Presentation by Ricardo Gutiérrez — 30 minutes with discussions)

14:00 – 17:30

Session 6: Case studies, national and international experiences (continued)

(3hrs, including discussions)

Dissemination of international merchandise trade statistics of Mexico
(Presentation by José Francisco Cuiriz — 20 minutes with discussions)
Export of goods and its impact on the foreign trade of the Republic of Panama
(Presentation by Maely Espinoza and Victor Morales — 20 minutes with discussions)
Trade Enterprise Characteristics: Costa Rican Experience
(Presentation by Ana Victoria Rodríguez Ramírez and Cinthya Marín Rojas — 20 minutes with discussions)
AIS Big Data Introductory Training
(Presentation by Jiayue Zeng — 50 minutes with discussions)
Metadata, quality, and dissemination of foreign trade statistical data
(Presentation by Claudia Campos — 20 minutes with discussions)
Compliance on quantity information (to be confirmed)
(Presentation by Vysaul Nyirongo — 20 minutes with discussions)

Wednesday, 25 October

8:30 – 10:00

Session 7: Applications and global developments

(3hrs 30 min, including discussions)

Measuring digital trade (8:30am, virtual, UNCTAD)
(Presentation by Daniel Ker — 50 minutes with discussions)
Linking business and trade statistics in practice: The Profile of Export Manufacturing Enterprises by sex and Exports by States
(Presentation by José Francisco Cuiriz — 20 minutes with discussions)
Import and Export Price Indices
(Presentation by Héctor Ezequiel Méndez, 50 minutes with discussions)
Price and volume indexes (10:50am, virtual, Brazil)
(Presentation by Herlon Brandão — 45 minutes with discussions)
Policy and tools for data quality, metadata, and dissemination (11:35am, virtual, Brazil)
(Presentation by Saulo Castro — 45 minutes with discussions)

10:30 – 12:30

Session 9: Emerging issues regarding merchandise trade statistics