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| The Data: Coverage, Periodicity, and Timeliness | ||||||||||||
| Coverage characteristics | 5.1.1 Statistical presentation Data on total international merchandise exports (fob) and total international merchandise imports (on a Customs Value basis) are disseminated in millions of Australian dollars. The data cover all moveable goods which add to (imports) or subtract from (exports) Australia's stock of material resources, as a result of their movement into or out of Australia (that is, all goods which cross the Australian Customs frontier). | |||||||||||
| Periodicity | 4.1.1 Periodicity Monthly | |||||||||||
| Timeliness | 4.1.2 Timeliness Data on imports are released 12 working days after the end of the reference month. Data on exports are released 21 working days after the end of the reference month. | |||||||||||
| Access by the Public | ||||||||||||
| Advance dissemination of release calendar | 5.1.3 Advance release calendar The ABS announces precise release dates for imports for the next six months in the monthly publication International Merchandise Imports, Australia (ABS Catalogue No. 5439.0) and precise release dates for exports for the next six months in the monthly publication International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia (ABS Catalogue No. 5368.0). | |||||||||||
| Simultaneous release to all interested parties | 5.1.4 Simultaneous release The data are released simultaneously to all interested parties at the time of the release of the following publications: International Merchandise Imports, Australia (ABS Catalogue No. 5439.0) for data on imports; and International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia (ABS Catalogue No. 5368.0) for data on exports as well as on AusStats, the ABS on-line subscription service. To ensure impartiality, the ABS releases its statistics by means of an embargo system which involves setting a time prior to which no statistics from a collection are released but after which the statistics are available to everybody. The standard release time is 11:30 a.m. (Canberra time), and this embargo is printed on the publications. | |||||||||||
| Integrity | ||||||||||||
| Dissemination of terms and conditions under which official statistics are produced, including those relating to the confidentiality of individually identifiable information | 0.1.1 Responsibility for collecting, processing, and disseminating statistics Australian Bureau of Statistics The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) collects and disseminates statistics under the authority of the Census and Statistics Act (1905) (CSA) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics Act 1975. Such determinations are enabling provisions only; they impose no obligations on the Statistician to release information. Merchandise trade The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) collects and disseminates statistics under the authority of the Census and Statistics Act (1905) (CSA) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics Act (1975). With two exceptions (the requirement to conduct a Census every five years and to compile statistics on the number of people in each State at the end of each quarter), the CSA entitles the Statistician to determine what statistical information is to be collected (within the bounds of broad-ranging subject matters specified in the Statistics Regulations). The Minister responsible for the ABS, the Treasurer, can direct the Statistician, in writing, to collect statistical information relating to a particular matter specified in the Statistics Regulations. However, the Minister cannot direct the Statistician to cease a particular collection nor instruct the Statistician on how to go about collecting statistical information.
The Act requires the Statistician to compile and analyse statistical information collected under the Act and to publish and disseminate the result of any such compilation or analysis, or abstracts of those results. The Act also authorizes the Statistician to impose charges for statistical outputs.
The public can obtain copies of government legislation, including the CSA and the Australian Bureau of Statistics Act, from outlets listed at this website: http://www.publications.gov.au.
There are no legal provisions applying specifically to the compilation of population statistics apart from the general legal provisions applying to all statistical areas. The population data are published by the ABS as a service to the public. 0.1.2 Data sharing and coordination among data producing agencies The ABS is the sole agency responsible for compiling merchandise trade statistics. Data are not shared with other agencies. Merchandise trade statistics are sourced from records lodged with the Australian Customs Service. 0.1.3 Confidentiality of individual reporters' data Australian Bureau of Statistics The determination currently in force under section 13 of the CSA enables the Statistician to disclose:
The Act protects the confidentiality of persons and organizations by requiring that information not be published in a manner likely to enable the identification of a particular person or organization. Notwithstanding this, the CSA provides for the Minister to make determinations providing for the release of certain classes of information which would not otherwise be permitted to be released under the Act; except that personal or domestic information may not be disclosed under the provisions of a determination in a manner that is likely to enable the identification of a person. Merchandise trade International merchandise trade statistics are confidentialised to prevent the identification of the activities of individual exporters and importers, where this is requested by the individual or organisation concerned and it is determined that their data would otherwise be identifiable. 0.1.4 Ensuring statistical reporting Australian Bureau of Statistics The CSA enables the Statistician to request or direct a person to complete a form or answer a question. The Act requires the Statistician to compile and analyze statistical information collected under the Act and to publish and disseminate the result of any such compilation or analysis, or abstracts of those results. Merchandise trade Merchandise trade statistics are sourced from records lodged with the Australian Customs Service. 0.2.2 Ensuring efficient use of resources The budget of the area responsible for producing merchandise trade statistics is subject to an efficiency dividend so that, exclusive of other changes, the budget reduces by 1.5% each year to promote increased efficiency. 0.3.1 Monitoring user requirements Briefings are provided to staff of the central bank and of the Treasury Department with the release of the quarterly Balance of Payments publication. These sessions provide opportunities for these users to provide feedback on the utility of the current statistics. The extensive use of the data by commentators and the media also reflects the data's relevance. 0.4.1 Quality policy The ABS maintains and publishes information on each collection it conducts, including information on the quality of the collection.
All publications produced by the ABS are subject to an internal clearance process. 1.1.1 Impartiality of statistics Australian Bureau of Statistics With two exceptions (the requirement to conduct a Census every five years and to compile statistics on the number of people in each State at the end of each quarter), the CSA entitles the Statistician to determine what statistical information is to be collected (within the bounds of broad-ranging subject matters specified in the Statistics Regulations). The Minister responsible for the ABS, the Federal Government Treasurer, can direct the Statistician, in writing, to collect statistical information relating to a particular matter specified in the Statistics Regulations. However, the Minister cannot direct the Statistician to cease a particular collection nor instruct the Statistician on how to go about collecting statistical information. The Act also authorizes the Statistician to impose charges for statistical output. Merchandise trade The Australian Public Service (APS) Code of Conduct requires that an employee not make improper use of inside information or the employee's duties, status, power or authority in order to gain, or seek to gain, a benefit or advantage for the employee or for any other person. 1.1.3 Commenting on erroneous interpretation and misuse of statistics The ABS has the authority to comment on erroneous interpretation and misuse of the statistics that it produces. 1.2.1 Disclosure of terms and conditions for statistical collection, processing, and dissemination Australian Bureau of Statistics The public can obtain copies of government legislation, including the CSA and the Australian Bureau of Statistics Act, from outlets listed at this website: http://www.publications.gov.au. Additionally, the public can access the Census and Statistics Act at http://www.comlaw.gov.au/ and the Australian Bureau of Statistics Act at http://www.comlaw.gov.au/. Merchandise trade Details are published in the ABS publication International Merchandise Trade, Australia, Concepts, Sources and Methods (ABS Catalogue No 5489.0). The publication is included in the ABS CD-ROM product Statistical Concepts Reference Library (ABS Catalogue No 1361.0). Both of these publications are available free of charge on the ABS's internet website (http://www.abs.gov.au). 1.3.1 Guidelines for staff behavior All staff are subject to the APS Code of Conduct as covered in section 13 of the Australian Public Service Act, 1999. | |||||||||||
| Identification of internal government access to data before release | 1.2.2 Internal governmental access to statistics prior to release Australian Bureau of Statistics It is ABS policy and practice to make all statistical releases available on the website to government, commercial and public users, simultaneously from 11.30 am (Canberra time) on the day of their release. Prior to 11.30 am, all ABS statistics are treated as confidential and regarded as being 'under embargo.' On 1 February 2008, new pre-embargo access arrangements were introduced. The arrangements enable access to a small number of ABS publications by authorised ministerial staff and Government officials, prior to the official release time. This is so that briefings can be prepared for key Ministers so that they can provide informed comment on the released statistics when approached by the media, thereby avoiding any inadvertent misinterpretation which may cause unnecessary alarm or concern. The policy on pre-embargo access to ABS statistical releases can be found on the ABS website (http://www.abs.gov.au). Merchandise trade Under this policy, monthly publication International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia (ABS catalogue no. 5368.0) data is made available to authorised government officials on the morning of the release to enable informed government comment after the embargo is lifted.
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| Identification of ministerial commentary on the occasion of statistical releases | 1.2.3 Attribution of statistical products Any ministerial commentary is released by Ministers or their Offices, independently of ABS statistical releases. | |||||||||||
| Provision of information about revision and advance notice of major changes in methodology | 4.3.1 Revision schedule The policy for revisions to Australia's international trade statistics is to revise any records stored on the unit record database as soon as possible after the need for a revision has been identified. The period covered by the revisions policy is the most recent six months. Revisions beyond this period are only made in exceptional circumstances. Because most revisions to import and export statistics are made within the first two or three months after the release of the initial estimate, this revision policy is likely to have minimal effect on the quality of the statistics. The exports and imports data become final after six months. No specific final data are disseminated, but the latest version of the data is available from the ABS.
Information on the details of the revisions policy is published in Chapter 7 of the publication International Merchandise Trade, Australia, Concepts, Sources and Methods (ABS Catalogue No.5489.0). This publication is available free of charge on the ABS website (http://www.abs.gov.au).
On 1 July 2002 new Customs legislation to modernise the administration of Australia's international trade came into effect. The legislation underpins the Customs Cargo Management Re-engineering (CMR) program, which will have significant implications for Australia's importers and exporters.
The Australian Customs Service (Customs) has undertaken a major re-engineering of its business processes and IT systems supporting movements of international cargo. Customs has cutover to the export component of the new Integrated Cargo System (ICS) on 6 October 2004, and to the import component of ICS in October 2005.
These changes have had some impacts on the data reported to Customs and therefore to the merchandise trade statistics the ABS produces. The ABS released two articles outlining the changes and their impacts to exports, concurrently with the August 2004 issue of 5368.0, on 29 September 2004 and to imports, concurrently with the August 2005 issue of 5439.0, on 16 September 2005.
Further information about the CMR is available on the Australian Customs Service web site (http://www.customs.gov.au). 4.3.2 Identification of preliminary and/or revised data Monthly and quarterly statistics are released with the note that they are preliminary and are subject to revision. This information is included in each publication. 1.2.4 Advance notice of major changes in methodology, source data, and statistical techniques. Changes in methodology and/or major classification changes are advised in the International Trade theme page on the ABS website (http://www.abs.gov.au) and in the monthly publication, International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia (ABS Catalogue No. 5368.0). | |||||||||||
| Quality | ||||||||||||
| Dissemination of documentation on methodology and sources used in preparing statistics | 5.2.1 Dissemination of documentation on concepts, scope, classifications, basis of recording, data sources, and statistical techniques Complete documentation is available in the publication International Merchandise Trade, Australia, Concepts, Sources and Methods (ABS Catalogue No. 5489.0). This publication is available free of charge on the ABS website (http://www.abs.gov.au). (See also summary methodology) | |||||||||||
| Dissemination of component detail, reconciliations with related data, and statistical frameworks that support statistical cross-checks and provide assurance of reasonableness | 4.2.1 Internal consistency Detailed data are available on trade classified by country of origin/destination, by Australian State, and by commodity, according to different classifications systems:
4.2.2 Temporal consistency The monthly publication International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia (ABS Catalogue No. 5368.0) publishes time series data on both exports and imports on a balance of payments basis for key commodity items. This publication also includes the following tables on a merchandise trade basis: merchandise exports and imports classified to the two-digit SITC level, country and country groups, and Australian State. | |||||||||||
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