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Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board Special Data Dissemination Standard (AS PROVIDED TO THE IMF BY THE RESPECTIVE COUNTRY)   Japan Merchandise trade (Foreign trade ) Last Posted: Nov-26-2008 Last Certified: Jan-22-2010 Last Updated: Nov-10-2006 Contact Person(s)          Printer Friendly Page   Mr. Takahisa Yamaguchi, Customs and Tariff Bureau, Ministry of Finance, 1-1, 3-chome, Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan 100-8940   Phone : 81 3 3581 4111, extension 2514   Fax : 81 3 5251 2178 Dissemination Formats Summary Methodology Access National Summary Data Page Cross-country comparisons: access the DSBB metadata query facility

The Data: Coverage, Periodicity, and Timeliness
Coverage characteristics	5.1.1 Statistical presentation Data are disseminated in thousand Yen for total exports (at f.o.b. values) and total imports (c.i.f.).
Periodicity	4.1.1 Periodicity Monthly
Timeliness	4.1.2 Timeliness Next month after the end of the reference month.
Access by the Public
Advance dissemination of release calendar	5.1.3 Advance release calendar The press release is issued each month. A statement is made in the Summary Report on Trade of Japan and Japan Exports and Imports that an advance release calendar giving the one-quarter-ahead approximate release dates is disseminated on the Internet on the IMF's Dissemination Standards Bulletin Board. The specific release date for the month is publicly announced by the Ministry of Finance one week before the data are released.  The Ministry of Finance announces the precise release date one week ahead in the following Internet websites: http://www.customs.go.jp/toukei/calendar/calend.htm (in Japanese) and http://www.customs.go.jp/toukei/calendar/calend_e.htm (in English).
Simultaneous release to all interested parties	5.1.4 Simultaneous release The data are released simultaneously to all interested parties by issuing the press release Boeki Tokei (Trade Statistics), which is available to all at the time of the official release (8:50 a.m. local time).
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 Ministry of Finance(MOF,O) The data are disseminated by the Ministry of Finance as a service to the public. 1.2.1 Disclosure of terms and conditions for statistical collection, processing, and dissemination Ministry of Finance(MOF,O) Copies of the Law are available in Japanese at: Government Publications Service Center 2-1, 1-chome Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku Tokyo, 100-0013, Japan Phone: 81 3 3504 3885 Fax: 81 3 3504 3889.
Identification of internal government access to data before release	1.2.2 Internal governmental access to statistics prior to release There is no internal government access to the data before their release to the public.
Identification of ministerial commentary on the occasion of statistical releases	1.2.3 Attribution of statistical products The Ministry of Finance sometimes provides commentary in the monthly press release containing the preliminary summary data.
Provision of information about revision and advance notice of major changes in methodology	4.3.1 Revision schedule In the event of such a change, a decision will be made on a case-by-case basis on whether to inform the public in advance, or at the time the change is introduced. 4.3.2 Identification of preliminary and/or revised data Data are preliminary when first released, and about one week after the dissemination of the preliminary data are revised. Final data are disseminated through the Internet website (http://www.customs.go.jp/toukei/shinbun/happyou_e.htm) of Japanese Customs of the Ministry of Finance (MOF), when March of the following year. 1.2.4 Advance notice of major changes in methodology, source data, and statistical techniques. There have been no major changes in the methodology of compiling merchandise trade data in recent years. In the event of such a change, a decision will be made on a case-by-case basis on whether to inform the public in advance, or at the time the change is introduced.
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 The methodology is described in an official notification from the Customs and Tariff Bureau, Directive of Foreign Trade Statistics, which is published by the Japan Tariff Association as instructions of the Director-General of the Customs and Tariff Bureau. Copies can be obtained in Japanese from: Japan Tariff Association, 4-7-8, Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Phone: 81 3 3263 7221. (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 The Japan Tariff Association disseminates the following: (1) Monthly data for the latest year, quarterly data for the latest 1 year, annual calendar year and fiscal year data for the latest 3 years for: the value of exports and imports by area/country (Table 3); the value of exports and imports by special commodity classification (Table 4); exports by principal commodity (Table 5); imports by principal commodity (Table 6); and the value of exports and imports by ports of clearance (Table 13). (2) Monthly data for the current year for: exports by commodity (Table 7); imports by commodity (Table 8); the value of imports and exports by area of special commodity classification (Table 9); the value of exports by country and commodity (Table 10); and the value of imports, by country and commodity (Table 11). 4.2.2 Temporal consistency The monthly Summary Report on Trade of Japan, published by the Japan Tariff Association, disseminates the following detailed data: (1) Monthly data for the latest 2 years, quarterly data for the latest 3 years, semi-annual data for the latest 13 calendar years and the latest 3 fiscal years, annual fiscal year data for the period since 1993, and annual calendar year data for the period since 1973 for the value of exports and imports, summary trade (Table 1). (2) Monthly data for the latest 2 years, quarterly data for the latest 3 years, annual calendar year and fiscal year data for the latest 5 years for the value of exports and imports by area (Table 2). (3) Monthly data for the latest 2 years, quarterly data for the latest 2 years, annual calendar year data for the period since 1998, and annual fiscal year data for the period since 1998 for exports and imports, air cargo by principal commodity. (Table 12) (4) Monthly data for the latest 3 years; quarterly data for the latest 2 years, and annual calendar year data for the period since 1993 for the volume of exports and imports in tons, and numbers and net tonnage of vessels entered (Table 14). (5) Times series data on indexes of trade: summary indexes, unit value indexes, and quantum indexes. (Table 15). 5.1.2 Dissemination media and format The annual Japan Exports and Imports published by the Japan Tariff Association disseminates detailed monthly data for the reference year on exports and import by country, broken down by: commodity (classified according to the Harmonized System); quantity; unit; and value.
Footnotes Last posted: Date IMF staff last posted an update to these metadata on the DSBB. Last certified: Date subscriber last officially certified the accuracy of these metadata. Last updated: Date subscriber last submitted an update of these metadata to the IMF.