Trade data
Why don’t exports and imports show the same number?
Check the reporting economy, direction and valuation before treating two trade records as equivalent.
One connection, two statistical records
Economy A’s reported exports to B and economy B’s reported imports from A are separate observations. UN Comtrade explains that these mirror records can differ. A discrepancy alone is not proof of an error or misconduct.
Check valuation and scope
Exports recorded on an FOB basis and imports often recorded on a CIF basis may differ in valuation. Freight, insurance, timing and partner attribution practices can affect the comparison. Match the year, product coverage, reporter and flow first. Do not compare total merchandise trade with one product group.
Read the arrows from the reporter’s perspective
In Trade connections, select the reporting economy and then exports or imports. A country-pair panel shows both directions from that reporter’s records. Switching to the counterpart’s reporting perspective may change the value; this changes the statistical viewpoint rather than correcting it. Partner shares use the reporter’s world total for the selected flow, not merely the connections visible on the globe.
A line is not a shipping route
Globe connections are schematic relationships between economy-level records. They do not verify ports, transport routes, delivery times or active commercial relationships. Product codes, quotations, delivery terms and operational conditions still need separate investigation before a sourcing decision.
Sources and scope
Sources checked: