Data Methodology & Sources

Complete transparency on how we collect, process, and present global trade data. Our commitment to accuracy and reliability in international trade statistics.

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Primary Data Source: CEPII BACI

What is CEPII BACI?

CEPII BACI (Base pour l'Analyse du Commerce International) is a comprehensive world trade database developed by the Centre d'Etudes Prospectives et d'Informations Internationales (CEPII), a French research institute.

Data Coverage

• Time period: 1995-2023
• Countries: 226 territories
• Products: 5,300+ HS6 codes
• Annual frequency

Data Quality

• Reconciled import/export flows
• Missing data estimation
• Unit value calculations
• Quality controls applied

Source Attribution

CEPII BACI is itself derived from the United Nations Comtrade database, which compiles official trade statistics reported by national statistical offices worldwide. CEPII applies sophisticated reconciliation algorithms to resolve discrepancies between import and export declarations.

Official Citation: Gaulier, G. and Zignago, S. (2010) "BACI: International Trade Database at the Product-Level. The 1994-2007 Version", CEPII Working Paper, N°2010-23.

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Our Data Processing

What We Do

✓Aggregate product-level data to country totals
✓Calculate trade balances (exports minus imports)
✓Rank countries by export and import volumes
✓Generate bilateral trade flow matrices
✓Create summary statistics and regional aggregates

What We Don't Do

✗Modify or adjust the underlying CEPII data
✗Apply seasonal adjustments or smoothing
✗Estimate missing data beyond CEPII's work
✗Convert currencies or apply exchange rate adjustments
✗Make predictions or forecasts

Data Aggregation Process

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Raw BACI Data

Product-level trade flows between all country pairs

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Country Aggregation

Sum all products for each country's total exports/imports

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Analysis & Display

Rankings, balances, and bilateral relationships

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Important Limitations

Data Coverage Limitations

• Goods only: Does not include services trade (banking, tourism, software, etc.)
• Time lag: Most recent data is 2023, released in 2024
• Small economies: Some territories have incomplete reporting
• Informal trade: Unrecorded cross-border transactions not captured

• Re-exports: May be recorded as domestic exports in some cases
• Processing zones: Special economic zones may have different reporting
• Valuation differences: Countries may use different valuation methods
• Data quality varies: Depends on national statistical capacity

Specific Data Quality Notes

Mirror Data Reconciliation

CEPII reconciles discrepancies between countries' import and export declarations. For example, if Japan reports $100B exports to Germany but Germany reports $105B imports from Japan, CEPII applies algorithms to estimate the "true" trade flow.

Missing Data Estimation

When countries don't report trade with specific partners, CEPII estimates these flows using mirror data and gravity model predictions. Estimated data is clearly flagged in the original dataset.

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Data Update Schedule

CEPII BACI Release Schedule

2023 data:Released October 2024
2024 data:Expected October 2025
Release frequency:Annual
Data lag:12-18 months

Our Update Process

✓Monitor CEPII releases quarterly
✓Download new data within 48 hours
✓Reprocess all country aggregations
✓Update website within 1 week

Current Status: All data current through 2023 (CEPII BACI v202401 release)

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Alternative Data Sources

For comparison and validation purposes, we occasionally reference other major trade databases. However, our primary analysis always relies on CEPII BACI for consistency.

UN Comtrade

Original source of trade statistics

• More detailed than BACI

• Monthly frequency available

• More data quality issues

WTO Statistics

Includes services trade

• Services data available

• Regional aggregations

• Less country detail

IMF DOTS

Direction of Trade Statistics

• Higher frequency updates

• Bilateral trade focus

• Less product detail

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Data Questions & Corrections

Have Questions About Our Data?

We welcome questions about our methodology, data processing, or potential errors. Transparency and accuracy are fundamental to our mission.

• Methodology clarifications
• Data processing questions
• Potential error reports
• Academic research collaborations

What We Can Help With

✓ Explain specific calculation methods
✓ Clarify data limitations for your use case
✓ Provide raw data extracts for research
✓ Discuss data quality issues

Note: We cannot modify the underlying CEPII BACI data, but we can explain our processing and help you understand any discrepancies.

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