1 ContactUp | |
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1.1 Organization | The Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic |
1.2 Address | Miletičova 3, 824 67 Bratislava |
1.3 Contact name | Emília Mladá |
1.4 Organization unit | External Trade Statistics Department |
1.5 Phone number | +421 2 50236 341; +421 2 50236 339 |
1.6 Email address | info@statistics.sk |
2 Metadata updateUp | |
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2.1 Date of last update | 16.06.2023 |
3 Statistical presentationUp | |
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3.1 Data description | |
Foreign trade statistics generally records the movement of goods between Slovak Republic and the rest of the world. The total import includes goods entering the Slovak Republic to be added to its material resources. In addition, the total import consists of the goods imported for processing which are to be re-exported in the form of compensating products. The total export includes goods taken from the material resources of the Slovak Republic permanently leaving its territory or goods leaving this territory for the purposes of processing, which are to be re-imported after processing in the form of compensating products. Foreign trade statistics exclude goods that are in temporary use, goods intended for repair and after their repair, and related spare parts and goods for which only a customs procedure was carried out in the Slovak Republic (quasi-export and quasi-import). ‛Goods’ means all movable property including electrical energy.
Foreign trade statistics of the Slovak Republic is compiled from the information on trade in goods with non-EU countries (further referred as ‛extra-EU trade’) based mainly on customs declarations data and from the information on trade in goods within the EU Member States (further referred as ‛intra-EU trade’) obtained particularly from statistical survey. Data on total exports, total imports and trade balance are disseminated. The data are published by months and cumulatively from the beginning of the year, broken down by:
a) continents, main economic groups of countries and countries,
b) sections, chapters and headings of Harmonized System (further referred as ‛HS’),
c) broad economic categories of the classification BEC, Rev. 4.,
d) sections of Standard International Trade Classification, 4th revision (further referred as ‛SITC, Rev. 4’).
Indices comparing the same period of the previous year as well as seasonally adjusted data are also published.
On request, data broken down by Combined Nomenclature (further referred as ‛CN’ subheadings, by mode of transport and by nature of transaction are available. |
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3.2 Classification system | |
Primary commodity classification The Combined Nomenclature is the primary nomenclature used by all EU Member States to collect detailed data on intra-EU and extra-EU trade in goods. It is based on the Harmonised Commodity Description and Coding System managed by the World Customs Organisation. The CN corresponds to the HS plus a further breakdown at eight-digit level defined to meet the specific EU needs. It includes around 9 500 eight-digit codes and is subject to annual revisions that ensure it is kept up to date in the light of changes in technology or patterns of international trade in goods.
Other commodity classifications A further breakdown of the Combined Nomenclature (9th and 10th digits) is collected for the extra-EU imports. This breakdown relates to the Integrated Tariff of the European Union (TARIC). In addition, correspondence tables allow to transpose detailed data collected according to the Combined Nomenclature into other classifications like the Standard International Trade Classification. The SITC is managed by the United Nations and correlated with the subheadings of the Harmonised System. The United Nation manages also Classification by Broad Economic Categories (further referred as ‛BEC’). The classification groups goods into economic classes with reference to their end use such as food, industrial supplies, capital equipment, consumer durables and consumer non-durables etc. The Combined Nomenclature can be transposed into the Statistical Classification of Products by Activity (further referred as ‛CPA’). This Union classification makes it possible to categorize products which have common characteristics and which are related to the activities defined in the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities – NACE Rev. 2.
Country classification The ‘Nomenclature of countries and territories for the external trade statistics of the Union and statistics of trade between Member States’, known as the ‘Geonomenclature’, is used to collect and disseminate detailed statistics on intra-EU trade and extra-EU trade in goods). The Geonomenclature is based on the standard ISO 3166, which is the International Standard for country codes. It uses 2-digits alphabetical codes which match with standard ISO 3166 for most countries. Only in a few cases, the same code corresponds to a larger territory either in the Geonomenclature or in the ISO 3166 standard.
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3.3 Sector coverage | |
Foreign trade statistics covers the whole economy - all activity sectors (from sections A to U of the NACE Rev. 2 classification) as the importer/exporter may be the legal or natural person who will report trade in goods when fulfilling set conditions. Reporting unit is either taxable person registered for VAT in the Slovak Republic carrying intra-EU trade or natural and legal person who lodged the customs declaration in the Slovak Republic. |
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3.4 Statistical concepts and definitions | |
The following statistical variables are disseminated:
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3.5 Statistical unit | |
The basic observation unit in foreign trade statistics is a transaction which is reported either by taxable persons registered for VAT in the Slovak Republic carrying intra-EU trade or natural and legal persons who lodged the customs declaration in the Slovak Republic. |
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3.6 Statistical population | |
Foreign trade data cover the Slovak Republic total trade in goods, including estimates for intra-EU trade below exemption thresholds and imputation of non-reported trade. The statistical population comprises all taxable persons registered for VAT in the Slovak Republic carrying intra-EU trade and natural or legal persons who lodged the customs declaration in the Slovak Republic. In practice, these may also be persons not established in the Slovak Republic. |
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3.7 Reference area | |
Statistical territory of the Slovak Republic corresponds to its customs territory, i.e. the full geographical territory of the Slovak Republic is covered. Goods placed in the Slovak customs warehouses are included in the imports statistics at the moment of their release into the free circulation area. No transactions with specific countries or territories are excluded from the foreign trade statistics of the Slovak Republic. Since July 1, 2001 foreign trade statistics is compiled in accordance with Geonomenclature which describes the statistical territory of the partner country. |
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3.8 Time coverage | |
Foreign trade statistics of the Slovak Republic has been compiled from January 1993 but the comparable data are available since January 2010. |
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3.9 Base period | |
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4 Unit of measureUp | |
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Aggregated data
Detailed data
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5 Reference periodUp | |
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If arrival (intra-EU import) is considered the intra-EU acquisition of goods or dispatch (intra-EU export) is considered intra-EU supply of goods in accordance with Act No. 222/2004 Coll. on value added tax, as amended, then the goods are included in the month during which the VAT on the intra-EU supplies or acquisitions becomes chargeable. This usually refers to the date of issue of the invoice. If the import and export of goods are declared on customs declarations, then the goods are included in the month in which that declaration was accepted. In other cases, the goods are included in the month in which the goods physically entered or left the territory of the Slovak Republic. |
6 Institutional mandateUp | |
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6.1 Legal acts and other agreements | |
International or regional guidelines Foreign trade statistics of the Slovak Republic is compiled in accordance with the EU legislation applicable for this area and with the international recommendations of the UN as presented in ‛International Merchandise Trade Statistics: Concepts and definitions 2010’.
EU legislation
All legal texts of the EU are accessible on Eur-Lex.
National legislation
All legal texts of the Slovak Republic are accessible on Slov-Lex. |
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6.2 Data sharing | |
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7 Confidentiality Up | |
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7.1 Confidentiality - policy | |
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European Statistics as well as Act No 540/2001 Coll. on state statistics defines confidential statistical data and lay down the obligation to protect them. Without the consent of the legal or natural persons who provided confidential statistical data, such data may not be provided or disclosed to anyone or used for purposes other than statistical purposes.
The principle of passive confidentiality as specified in Article 11 of Regulation (EC) No 638/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council and in second paragraph of Article 10(1) of Regulation (EC) No 471/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council is applied in the foreign trade statistics. This means that only upon request of an importer or exporter of goods, the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic decides whether to disseminate statistical results relating to the respective imports or exports without any amendment or to amend the statistical results so as to make it impossible to identify that importer or exporter. |
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7.2 Confidentiality - data treatment | |
When assessing the request of an importer or exporter the number of importers/exporters and the share of given importer/exporter on the imports/exports is considered. If there are less than 3 importers/exporters or the share in value of the importer/exporter requesting confidentiality makes up more than 75%, Statistical Office of the Slovak republic will amend the statistical results so as to make it impossible to identify that importer/exporter. The commodity codes subject to primary and secondary confidentiality are published at higher level of details. |
8 Release policyUp | |
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8.1 Release calendar | |
The calendar of the first release contains the exact dates of the first release of foreign trade statistics for the next 4 months. |
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8.2 Release calendar access | |
The calendar of the first release is available on the website of the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic: slovak.statistics.sk > Products > Release Calendar. |
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8.3 User access | |
The data are published simultaneously for all users through the publication of "Information Reports", which are issued at 9:00 a.m. on the day of publication on the website of the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (www.statistics.sk). Only National Bank of Slovakia has access to the data before their release to the public. |
9 Frequency of disseminationUp | |
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Foreign trade statistics is released monthly. |
10 Accessibility and clarityUp | |
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10.1 News release | |
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10.2 Publications | |
Foreign Trade of the Slovak Republic (monthly) |
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10.3 On-line database | |
Public database DATAcube. (preliminary monthly data and final data) |
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10.4 Micro-data access | |
Users are provided only with aggregated data; microdata are not disseminated. |
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10.5 Other | |
International and national organizations (e.g. Eurostat, the United Nations, the National Bank of Slovakia, central governmental authorities) have their own specific outputs defined. |
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10.6 Documentation on methodology | |
The monthly publication Foreign Trade of the Slovak Republic contains methodological notes and information on data sources. Methodological notes are also published in the annual publications Development of Foreign Trade of the Slovak Republic and Statistical Yearbook of the Slovak Republic. More detailed information on the methodology of intra-EU trade statistics can be found in the Handbook for reporting units of the INTRASTAT-SK system. The handbook describes in detail the reporting of both standard and specific transactions. The handbook will also enable the user of foreign trade statistics to obtain a basic overview of the methodology for compiling it. |
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10.7 Quality documentation | |
Quality Report on European statistics on international trade in goods provides users with a tool to assess also the quality of the Slovak foreign trade statistics compiled according to the EU concept. This quality assessment, including quality indicators, can also be applied to the foreign trade statistics compiled according to the national concept. |
11 Quality managementUp | |
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11.1 Quality assurance | |
The Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic follows the Quality Policy based on requests of users of statistics, on rules, principles, recommendations and conclusions of the ISO 9001 standard for Quality Management Systems. The Certificate of quality management system according to ISO 9001:2015 was handed over to the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic by the certification body Bureau Veritas Certification Slovakia spol. s r.o. based on the result of recertification audit conducted by this body in November 2018. The certificate confirms that the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic meets requirements of the international standard ISO 9001:2015 in organising, obtaining, processing and providing official statistics according to the current standards. At the same time it provides the evidence that the quality management system implemented in the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic creates appropriate conditions for further improvement of quality of services provided to users and for development of the Office towards higher effectiveness. |
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11.2 Quality assessment | |
The high level of item non-response in intra-EU trade statistics significantly affects the quality of foreign trade statistics of the Slovak Republic. The number of reporting units within the INTRASTAT-SK system that do not fulfil their reporting obligation, despite the methodological support provided by the Helpdesk of the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (in 2019, an average of 52 telephone calls and 14 emails were processed per week) decreases only slightly. Imputations of missing data thus reduce the accuracy of the commodity and geographical structure of foreign trade statistics. |
12 Relevance Up | |
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12.1 User needs | |
The key national users, which are Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Bank of Slovakia, are members of the Inter-Ministerial Board for Foreign Trade Statistics The board meets at least once a year. Despite low frequency of the meeting, the members are regularly informed on the changes in collection, compilation and dissemination of the foreign trade statistics. In general, the users require value of goods, net mass and quantity in supplementary unit at the most detailed level, i.e. at the level of CN subheading and partner country. When the quantity in supplementary units or the net mass is not reported, it is imputed applying net mass/quantity coefficients or unit values derived from the reported values. The imputation method uses stable parameters (they are recalculated only when necessary) and some parameters are not even set, which resulting in inaccurate estimates or missing information on quantity and/or net mass. Users consider this as main quality issue. |
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12.2 User satisfaction | |
The Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic regularly evaluates the website traffic according to individual sections and departments. In addition, since 2009, it has been conducting customer satisfaction surveys with its products and services on a two-yearly basis. In a survey conducted in October 2017, the average rate of satisfaction with the foreign trade statistics was 68,1%. |
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12.3 Completeness | |
All variables required by legislation are collected and compiled, some of which are provided to users on request. |
13 Accuracy and reliabilityUp | |
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13.1 Overall accuracy | |
The intra-EU trade statistics are adversely affected by the reporting units of the INTRASTAT-SK system, which report late or not at all. The issue is however limited to the detailed levels of the commodity classification as the Intrastat legislation makes mandatory the compilation of estimates for missing data at least at the HS chapter level broken down by partner Member States.
Additionally, confidentiality may have impact on data accuracy at the CN level. Aggregated levels are in general much less impacted due to the legal obligation for Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic to ensure dissemination at least at the HS chapter level. The EU legislation however foresees derogation to that principle when the dissemination of real trade values at HS chapter level would disclose confidentiality information and would then harm the interest of the importers/exporters. In such a case, it is allowed to use the HS chapter 99 instead of the real chapter.
Taking into account that thousands of records are to be collected and processed every month it is very difficult to achieve the complete accuracy. So compilers of the foreign trade statistics need to find a balance between the resources devoted to checking and the likely benefit, between the accuracy and timeliness of the data. Therefore the users should be aware of the margin of inaccuracy in the data, at least at the most detailed level of data. |
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13.2 Sampling error | |
Foreign trade statistics is not collected via samples and so are not impacted by sampling errors. Intra-EU trade data are collected via the INTRASTAT-SK system which is considered as a cut-off census. Extra-EU trade data are based on the records of trade transactions reported on customs declarations and are so considered to be of administrative data source. |
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13.3 Non-sampling error | |
Errors often arise when capturing movements of goods or trade activities about which importers/exporters have little information or are too complex to be recorded appropriately, for example:
Besides errors, the accuracy of foreign trade statistics at detailed level is impacted by estimates for non-collected data:
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14 Timeliness and punctualityUp | |
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14.1 Timeliness | |
The first data for a given reference month are available 40 calendar days after that month in the form of aggregates. Monthly detailed data are available 70 calendar days after the reference month. |
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14.2 Punctuality | |
All deadlines for the release of foreign trade statistics of the Slovak republic were met. |
15 Coherence and comparabilityUp | |
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15.1 Comparability - geographical | |
Foreign trade statistics of the Slovak Republic is compiled and disseminated in accordance with the international recommendations, so conceptually the Slovak data are comparable with the partner countries’ data. The main discrepancies may be explained by the way how the data are presented. When comparing partner country’s imports from the Slovak Republic presented by country of origin with Slovak exports to that partner country the difference may arise when the Slovak republic exports to that country also goods originating in other country than the Slovak Republic.
In addition, the differences in the mirror flows within the intra-EU trade may be observed either for the methodological reasons such as thresholds, statistical confidentiality, quasi transit, valuation principle, time lags in the registration of the transactions, treatment of specific goods and movements particularly gas and electricity or they are results of the incorrect reporting due to triangular trade, misclassification of the goods, non-response and related imputation. Slovakia regularly carries out bilateral comparison with Czechia. Despite of all effort made it is not possible to avoid incorrect reporting and consequently asymmetries in the mutual trade.
Extra-EU trade of the Slovak Republic is compiled in accordance with the special trade system, the relaxed definition following the EU legal provisions. So differences in the trade of those partner countries compiling their trade by general trade system may be observed. Further reasons for asymmetries are the time lag in recording transaction, different valuation, allocation of the trade to a Member State where the customs declaration is lodged. |
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15.2 Comparability - over time | |
In general, the Slovak foreign trade data are comparable over time. Changes in the compilation of external trade statistics were also implemented before 2010. Information on these changes is available on request. |
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15.3 Coherence - cross domain | |
Indicators similar to those compiled in foreign trade statistics can also be found in national accounts, balance of payments or business statistics. Although individual data may describe the same transaction, these indicators are compiled according to different concepts. Their comparability is therefore limited. |
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15.4 Coherence - internal | |
All aggregated data including aggregates based on other commodity classifications, are calculated from detailed foreign trade data and on the basis of official correspondence tables between Combined Nomenclature and those classifications what ensures internal coherence of foreign trade statistics. |
16 Cost and burdenUp | |
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Changes to the coverage provisions as agreed in EBS Regulation will enable the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic to gradually reduce the coverage of intra-EU imports by data collected through statistical surveys. As long-term objective, the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic considers the intra-EU import coverage at 80%, which should lead to a 50% reduction in number of reperting units within the INTRASTAT-SK system. The reporting exemption would mostly apply to small and medium-sized enterprises. |
17 Data revisionUp | |
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17.1 Data revision - policy | |
Routine monthly revisions of the foreign trade statistics data are realised for each month of the reference year already published when the monthly data are released. If there are changes in concepts, methodologies, classifications or code lists, the revision of already published data from the beginning of the year is ensured. The revision does not have to be undertaken after an immediate change in some of the above reasons, but only after an analysis of the effects of these changes on already published data. |
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17.2 Data revision - practice | |
Monthly data (aggregated and detailed) are preliminary at the time of their first release. The published data for January to December of the given reference year are revised only if the annual updated data differ from the last published data by 2 percentage points. This is a revision outside the revision calendar. All data that the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic receives after processing the data for January to December of the given year, i.e. data reported in the following year, are gradually processed and are published as final data in October of the following year at the latest. Preliminary and final status of the data is indicated in the disseminated data, as well as in the publications. |
18 Statistical processingUp | |
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18.1 Source data | |
The main data source for intra-EU trade are INTRASTAT-SK declarations provided by consignees and consignors of goods being taxable persons registered for VAT in the Slovak Republic. Only the taxable persons with annual arrivals (intra-EU imports) of more than EUR 200,000 and/or annual dispatches (intra-EU exports) of more than EUR 400,000 are obliged to provide statistical data. Data sources for extra-EU trade statistics are mainly customs declarations lodged in the Slovak Republic in accordance with customs practices, definitions and rules set by the Union and Slovak legislation which ensures high quality and nearly total coverage of extra-EU trade data. Data on the quantity of electricity flowing across the Slovak border, measured at interconnection points, are used to compile foreign trade in electricity. These data are provided by energy statistics. Data on quantity of natural gas crossing the Slovak border from transmission system operator and from storage operator are used to compile foreign trade in natural gas Unit values calculated from INTRASTAT-SK and customs declarations with recorded electricity and natural gas are used to derive statistical value of these goods. |
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18.2 Frequency of data collection | |
INTRASTAT-SK declarations are collected continuously but the reporting units are obliged to submit the data for a reference month within 15 calendar days after the end of reference month. VAT data are provided by the Tax Section of the Financial Directorate of the SR on a monthly basis (including corresponding quarterly data). |
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18.3 Data collection | |
INTRASTAT-SK declarations are collected by the Customs section of the Financial Directorate of the SR. Data are collected electronically via a separate web portal of the Financial Administration of the SR. When reporting unit identifies an error in already submitted data he/she submit a corrective declaration. The Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic has set specific rules on how to correct an INTRASTAT-SK report or individual report items, as well as threshold values for individual variables, when the reporting unit is obliged to submit corrective reports. Data on electrical energy from energy statistics are obtained electronically. Data on natural gas from transmission system operator are obtained electronically as well. Data on natural gas injected into / withdrawn from the storage facilities are available on the storage facility operator's website where they are downloaded. |
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18.4 Data validation | |
Completeness and validity checks (mandatory fields checks, code lists checks, data type checks, etc.) are performed during the import of data into the production system of the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic for Foreign Trade Statistics. All data must pass through validity checks. Vessels and aircraft recorded on INTRASTAT-SK declarations or customs declarations are verified at the economic operators who has reported them. |
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18.5 Data compilation | |
Aggregated data Data editing based on verification of suspicious data at reporting units is carried out while the submission of a corrective INTRASTAT-SK report is required. Imputations for non-response and estimates for trade below the threshold are calculated for intra-EU trade statistics. Imputations are based on data from reporting units reported for previous months or on values obtained directly from them. Estimates of intra-EU trade below the threshold are based on intra-EU data of importers/exporters reported for previous months on their VAT returns. Both imputations and estimates are broken down into CN subheadings in order to assign SITC codes. The statistical value is then calculated. Detailed data Data editing based on verification of suspicious data at reporting units is carried out while the submission of a corrective INTRASTAT-SK report is required. Imputations for non-response and estimates for trade below the threshold are calculated for intra-EU trade statistics. Imputations are based on VAT data, on data from reporting units reported for previous months or on values obtained directly from the units. Estimates of intra-EU trade below the threshold are based on intra-EU data of importers/exporters reported on the VAT return for the given reference month. Estimates for quantity in net mass and supplementary unit based on coefficients for particular CN8 codes are also computed for non-response imputations and below threshold estimates. Calculation of statistical value is then performed. Confidentiality is applied at micro-data level. |
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18.6 Adjustment | |
Aggregated data Imputations for non-response and estimates of below threshold trade are calculated as as the average of values over the previous three months or values verified at intra-EU importers/exporters are used. Commodity and partner country breakdown of the imputations for non-response is derived from:
Commodity and partner country breakdown of estimates below threshold trade is derived the trade pattern of reporting units just above the threshold with the same main economic activity for the same month. Detailed data Imputations for non-response are based on VAT data of a reporting unit for a given month, failing this the previous three months average of reporting unit's values is used. Values verified at PSI are also used. Commodity and partner country breakdown of the imputations for non-response is derived from:
Commodity and partner country breakdown of the imputations for partial response is derived from trade pattern of reporting units INTRASTAT-SK declarations submitted in the same month. |
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