Trade Facilitation Data and Indicators: What is Available and What is Needed

1
Trade Facilitation Data and Indicators What is
Available and What is Needed?
John S. Wilson July 7, 2004
2
Trade Facilitation What is it?

• Simplification of trade procedures through
• Reduced transport costs
• Improved ports facilities
• Efficient and transparent customs procedures
• Transparent and harmonized regulations
• Transport systems and related infrastructure
• Improved communication/information technologies

3
Use of Indicators and Data

• Assess country performance ( WB CAS, CEMs)
• Benchmarks for regional comparisons
• Trade flagship reports, GEP
• Project identification, preparation, evaluation
  World Bank and donors

4
What is Available Now?

• Primer on Data and Indicators
• Customs and Border Clearance
• Time to clear customs WBES, ICAs, TTFSE
• Port Efficiency
• Maritime Transport Costs Maersk Sealand, US
  DOT, IMF Statistics

5
Available Now..

• Transport Systems and Infrastructure
• Transport Indicators REDIs, GCR
• Roads International Road transport Union, IDB
• Railways WB, International Union of Railways
• Air ICAO, IATA

6
Available Now..

• Services Infrastructure
• WB, ITU, OECD, World Economic Forum
• Technical Regulations
• World Bank TBT Database
• Broad Indicators
• Trade Facilitation Audits (TTFSA)
• Trade Facilitation Data Base Wilson, Mann,
  Ostuki 2003

7
Data Gaps and Problems

• Non-harmonized definitions, measurement tools,
  and methodologies
• Limited country coverage and poor quality
• Lack of time series data sets
• Difficulty in aggregation of different data
  sources

8
Examples of What is Needed

• Expand country coverage and time series
  availability of existing datasets (customs
  clearance times - example)
• Trade facilitation benchmarks survey based time
  series
• Indicators which captures dynamic changes (cost,
  time, technology, etc.)

9
Common Goals..

• International consensus on priority indicators
  that can be modified and new ones developed
  easily and at relatively low cost
• Concrete modes of collaboration moving ahead

10
Thank You

• John S. Wilson
• Lead Economist
• Transport and Urban Development
• Jswilson_at_worlbank.org