Trade data, or import and export statistics, consist of statistical data about international trade, typically organized by time period, country, and commodity (using HS codes).
They are used by governments, corporations, manufacturers, law firms, trade associations, and international organizations to monitor the commodity markets relevant to their interests.
[1] Different sources of trade data may provide more or less complete data coverage, and more or less detail: The ultimate source of trade data for a particular country is at the national level, usually the national statistical office, but sometimes "central banks, customs administrations and specialized governmental organizations.
"[28] Some nations make their trade data publicly available online (in interfaces of varying user-friendliness), others provide it upon request, and yet others do not publish their trade data directly.
"[30] China provides a striking example: as of 2020, UN Comtrade’s latest monthly data for China was from 2017,[29] whereas Trade Data Monitor regularly reports China's trade statistics for the previous month.