1. Data sources
1.1. Legal background
Statistical data
on external trade are collected, verified, processed by the Customs Service,
according the article 321 of the Custom Code (Rules) of the Republic of Moldova
and are presented to the National Bureau of Statistics for completion,
finalization and publication according the articles 9, 10, 11, 19, 20 and 21 of
the Law on Official Statistics of the Republic of Moldova.
1.2. Data sources
The basic
document for statistical reporting for exports/imports of goods – the subject
of commercial transactions – is the detailed Customs Declaration, which is
filled in at the Customs points at the moment when the goods enter or leave the
country. For the goods transported by cable or pipes, the source of operative
data is the statistical report ¹ EI-I “Export (Import) of electricity and
natural gas” filled in by the importer or exporter based on the documents of
reception-delivery.
The specialists
of the Division of Information Technologies and Customs Statistics of the
Customs Service collect the Customs Declarations at the Customs points. Data
are verified and processed in the frame of this Division of Flows Information
and Customs Statistics of the Customs Service.
National Bureau
of Statistics is responsible for data completion, finalization and publication
of the External Merchandise Trade Statistics.
2. Methodological notes
2.1. External Trade Statistics of the Republic of Moldova is produced according
recommended of the Statistical Commission of United Nations (International
Merchandise Trade Statistics – Concepts and Definitions, Series M No. 52,
Rev. 2), and EUROSTAT legislation (Council
Regulation (CE) No.1172/95 – EXTRASTAT) on
international trade with third countries and Commission Regulation (CE) No.1917/2000 concerning implementation of Council Regulation (CE)
No. 1172/95.
The definitions
of custom regime relevant for determining the trade system and the coverage
area are used in the development of external trade statistics.
2.2. Statistical
territory
The territory
taken into account in the External Trade Statistics is referred to the economic
territory of the country, to which the national custom legislation applies,
but, it does not coincide with the geographic area of the country (excepting
the region from the left side of the river Nistru).
2.3. Trade system used in the production of statistics on Foreign Trade
of the
2.4. External trade with goods covers the totality of tangible goods which are added
to the stock of material resources of the country (imports) or are taken off
them (exports), by entering or leaving the territory of the country.
There are
distinguished three types of imported goods:
·
Foreign goods
(other than compensating products after outward processing);
·
Foreign goods
compensating products after outward processing;
·
Domestic goods in
the same state as previously exported.
There are distinguished three types of exported goods:
·
Domestic goods
from the free circulation area or industrial free zones;
·
Domestic goods
compensating products after inward processing;
·
Foreign goods in
the same state as previously imported.
There are some
goods, which can be subject to Customs entrances; however, according
methodological provisions of external trade, the following items are excluded
from the volume of Exports-Imports of the
–
Monetary
gold, gold pieces and bars exchanged between monetary institutions;
–
Issued
banknotes and securities and coins in circulation;
–
Goods temporarily admitted or dispatched. Moldovan goods which are temporarily abroad and,
accordingly, foreign goods temporarily placed in our country (which within a
limited time of use shall be returned in the origin country) for trade fairs
and exhibitions, commercial samples and pedagogic material, packaging, means of
transport, containers and equipment connected with transport, animals for
breeding, show or racing, are excluded from external trade with goods;
–
Goods
in transit on the territory of the Republic of Moldova (for
transport reasons), goods entering or leaving the country with the exclusive
purpose of reaching a third country, are excluded since they do not add to or
subtract from the stock of material resources of the country through which they
pass;
–
Goods
consigned to and from territorial enclaves. The economic territory of a country includes any territorial
enclaves (embassies, foreign military and other installations) that are
physically located within geographic boundaries of another country, and
excludes the enclaves of other countries and international organisations
located within its own geographic boundaries. Therefore, the movement of
merchandise between a country and its enclaves abroad is considered as an
internal flow, and should be excluded from the imports and exports of host
country (the country that has the territorial enclaves of other countries and
international organisations within its geographic boundaries). Similarly, goods
received or sent abroad by international organisations are excluded from the
merchandise trade statistics of the host countries.
–
Non-financial
assets, ownership of which has been transferred from residents to
non-residents, without crossing borders. These assets include land, structures,
equipment and inventories. Such a transfer of ownership of non-financial assets
is considered to be a financial operation, and is therefore excluded from
international merchandise trade statistics;
–
Goods treated as part of trade in services. This category comprises:
· goods acquired by all categories of
travellers, including non-resident workers, for their own use and carried across
the border in amounts or values not exceeding those established by the national
law;
· newspapers and periodicals sent under
direct subscription;
· goods purchased by foreign Governments
through their embassies or their foreign military or other installations
located in the economic territory of a host country for their own use;
· diskettes or CD-ROMs with stored computer
software and/or data developed to order; audio- and videotapes containing
original recordings; customised blueprints, etc.;
–
Fish
caught on the high seas by national vessels of a country and landed in its
economic territory;
–
Goods
which are acquired and relinquished by non-residents within the same recording period, and
which do not cross the frontiers of this country;
–
Goods
under operational lease (rent or use for a time less than one
year);
–
Goods
lost or destroyed after leaving the economic territory of the exporting country
but before entering the economic territory of the intended importing country are to be excluded from imports of the intended
importing country (although they are included as exports of the exporting
country);
–
Empty
bottles which are returned
to be refilled are considered as “means of transport” and are accordingly
excluded;
–
Waste
and scrap having no positive
value are to be excluded;
–
Food
and fuel acquired by Moldovan vessels or aircraft outside the national
territory are not included in imports;
–
Goods
with the value under valuation threshold for custom taxation, established by
the national legislation.
2.5. Statistical
value of exports and imports
Statistical
valuation of exports is produced in FOB prices, statistical valuation of
imports – in CIF prices.
The statistical
value of exported goods be an
FOB-type value, which represents the value of exported goods at the place and
date when the goods leave the statistical territory of the Republic of Moldova
(the value at which the exporter sold the goods, including the cost of
transport and other costs for delivery and dispatch of goods on transport means
at the country frontier).
The statistical
value of imported goods be a CIF-type value, which represents the custom value
of imported goods at the entrance frontier point in the Republic of Moldova
(value at which the goods are bought by importer, including costs for transport
and insurance to deliver the goods at the country frontier).
Statistical value is recorded in national currency and it is calculated by transforming the operation
currency in Lei, according legal provisions.
Statistical value does not include any charges
resulting from import or export, such as: custom taxes, VAT, excises or other
similar taxes.
In case of goods that represent humanitarian aid, object of barter
operations, etc., the estimation of exports/imports of goods is calculated in
the prices of the same goods for which the import/export operations are
performed, on commercial basis or in prices of world market.
2.6. Conversion of foreign currencies in
national currency, US Dollars, Euro
The value of
international transactions can be expressed in a variety of currencies.
Conversion of foreign currencies in Lei is performed based on official rates
established by the National Bank of the
Data in US
Dollars and Euro are calculated according data in Lei, using the official rate
of the National Bank for the two currencies.
2.7. Quantitative
reporting of goods
Quantitative
reporting of goods, both for exports and imports, is done in net mass (weight)
expressed in kilograms (excluding packages) and for some goods – in one or more
quantity units specific for certain goods, mentioned in parallel with types of
goods in the Nomenclature of Goods – pieces, m3,
pairs, kW/h, etc.
2.8. Geographic
distribution of exports (imports)
Distribution by
countries of exported goods is performed by the last country of destination of
goods, while for imports – by the country of origin.
The “country of destination” for exports is
considered the last known country at the export moment, where goods are to be
dispatched for consumption (public and private consumption, or used in the
production process).
The “country of origin” for imports is
considered the country where the goods were processed completely or the last
country where the goods were significantly changed (in case when two or more
countries were involved in the production process).
If the country of
last destination or the origin country of the goods is unknown at the delivery
moment then the export (import) is set by the consignment / destination
purchase of goods.
3. Nomenclatures used in External Trade
3.1. Nomenclature of Goods
Merchandise trade
statistics of the Republic of Moldova is produced according international
methodology, and the exported-imported goods are classified according the
Nomenclature of Goods, developed on the basis of Harmonized Commodity
Description and Coding System (HS-2007) and the Combined Nomenclature (CN).
This Nomenclature constitutes the basis of custom duty of the
Nomenclature of Goods represents the multifunctional classification of goods which circulate
on world market and is used in the development of custom duty and statistical
recording of external trade operations. The nature of goods constitutes the
basic criterion of this Nomenclature, the goods are listed according processing
stage: raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products.
Standard
International Trade Classification (SITC Rev. 4) is most suitable for
economic analyses; the goods are classified according processing stage and also
the Classification of Big Economic Categories, where the SITC Rev. 4 goods
are grouped in big economic classes according their final use, relevant for
statistical analyses and National Accounts.
Data on goods
from the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic
Activities are produced based on transition tables between these nomenclatures
and the Nomenclature of Goods.
The
Classification of countries and territories developed by UN Statistical
Division (ISO Standard 3166-88) was used until 2005. The nomenclature of
countries and territories used for external trade statistics of European Union
and its relations with member-states and third countries is the Regulation CE
1833 / 2006 from December, 13, 2006.
The countries are
grouped by continents according recommendations of statistical office of
European Union (EUROSTAT), while economic groups by countries are presented by
the UN monthly statistical Bulletin.
Commonwealth
of Independent States: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,
Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan, Ukraine.
European
Union: Austria,
Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland,
France, Germany,
Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland,
Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland.
OECD countries: Australia, Austria,
Belgium,
Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Japan, Latvia Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg,
Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland,
Portugal,
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia,
South Korea, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey,
United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States of
America, Virgin Islands (US).
EFTA countries:
OPEC countries:
BSEC countries: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Republic of
Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro and Ukraine.
4. Indices
4.1. Value indices present the general trend of exports and imports and
are calculated as the relation between the values (US dollars) of the reporting
year and those of the base year (previous year).
4.2. Annual variation or rhythm of annual modification of exports and imports indicate the increase or
decrease in per cents of the indicator’s level in the reporting year in
comparison with the base year (previous year). The annual variation was
determined based on the data expressed in US dollars.
4.3. Unit value indices for imported-exported goods are
calculated based on the average unit values expressed in US dollars, according
to Paasche formula.
Previous year is
used as the base for calculation of unit value indices for imported-exported
goods.
4.4. Data sources
The calculation
of unit value indices is done based on the data from Custom Declarations,
separately for each commodity (8 digits level), group of commodities (6, 4,
2 digits level), and total exports (imports), according the Nomenclature
of Goods. Selected commodities (representative goods) for the calculations
include homogenous goods with information available on quantity and cost and
that are present both in reporting period and in base period. For the
aggregation of unit value indices, calculated at 8 digits on different levels
of the Nomenclature of Goods and by total of exports (imports), the value of
goods in current period is used as the weighting element.
Symbols and abbreviations
% Per cent
Mio Million
0 Quantity
less than a half of indicated unit
– Zero
* Author
The Division of
External Trade and Services Statistics prepared the publication.
You can contact us on phone: (+373 22) 24
16 65, 40 30 66.
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