Terms of trade in goods

What does the survey comprise?

Purpose

The survey provides monthly data on terms of trade in goods.

Domain

The survey covers total imports and exports of goods.

Year survey started

The series based on 2015=100 started in January 1995 and was first published on October 11 2018. The discontinued series based on 2010=100 is to be found in the archive.

Frequency

Monthly.

Publication strategy

The figures are published 6 to 7 weeks after the end of the month under review. The figures are available in StatLine, the electronic database of Statistics Netherlands. The monthly figures are consistent with the figures published in the quarterly National Accounts. This means that the monthly figures are provisional until the quarterly National Accounts figures become definite.

How is the survey conducted?

Main sources

Calculations are based on value figures in euros as measured by Statistics Netherlands in its monthly statistics on international trade in goods. First, value changes are calculated, which are subsequently adjusted for price changes at a detailed level of the goods classification used for National Accounts purposes. This results in figures on the volume changes of imports and exports. Changes in export/import prices are calculated by dividing the total value of exports/ imports of goods by the volume of exports/imports of goods. The change in the terms of trade results from dividing prices of exports by prices of imports.

Quality of the results

Comparability

The figures are comparable over time.

Revisions

Terms of trade figures, import prices and export prices may be adjusted once new or updated source information becomes available in the monthly international trade statistics or producer prices. In addition, monthly price changes are adjusted retrospectively to fit those of imports and exports of goods in the quarterly National Accounts and the annual National Accounts. A complete revision of the National Accounts is done once every five years.