Goods and Services in Trade Statistics: An Explanatory Guide

Understanding the intricacies of international trade statistics is crucial for businesses, economists, and policymakers alike. At the heart of these statistics lie the concepts of Goods And Services, representing the core components of economic exchange between nations. This guide delves into the methodologies used to compile data on U.S. trade in goods and services, offering a comprehensive explanation of the Census basis and Balance of Payments (BOP) basis for goods, revision procedures, and key definitions. By understanding these foundational elements, stakeholders can gain valuable insights into trade flows, economic trends, and the overall health of the global economy.

Goods (Census Basis) Explained

Data concerning goods, when categorized on a Census basis, are meticulously gathered from documents processed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This data paints a picture of the physical movement of merchandise across international borders, specifically between foreign countries and the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and U.S. Foreign Trade Zones. It’s important to note the scope: these figures encompass both governmental and non-governmental shipments of tangible goods. However, certain transactions are intentionally excluded to provide a clearer picture of international trade. These exclusions include shipments between the United States and its territories and possessions, transactions involving U.S. military, diplomatic, and consular entities located abroad, goods of U.S. origin returned by the U.S. Armed Forces, personal effects of travelers, and shipments merely passing through the U.S. in transit.

Within Census-based goods data, the “General Imports value” is a key metric. It represents the total value of merchandise arriving from foreign nations that immediately enters the U.S. economy, whether for immediate consumption, storage in warehouses, or processing within Foreign Trade Zones.

Valuation methods are also critical to understand. For imports, the reported value is the CBP-appraised value. This generally reflects the price paid for the merchandise intended for export to the United States. Significantly, this value excludes import duties, freight costs, insurance, and other charges associated with bringing the goods to the U.S. However, there’s an exception in specific exhibits, such as exhibit 17a, which presents the CIF import value. CIF, standing for “cost, insurance, and freight,” represents the total landed value of the goods upon arrival at the first U.S. port. It’s calculated by adding import-related charges to the customs value but still excludes U.S. import duties.

Exports, in contrast, are valued at the f.a.s. (free alongside ship) value. This reflects the merchandise value at the U.S. port of export. It’s based on the transaction price, including inland freight, insurance, and other costs incurred to place the goods alongside the carrier at the U.S. port of exportation.

Revision Procedures for Census Basis Goods Data

Accuracy in trade statistics is paramount, and the U.S. Census Bureau employs a robust revision procedure to ensure data reliability for goods on a Census basis. These revisions occur at monthly, quarterly, and annual intervals.

Monthly Revisions: Monthly data releases are not static. They primarily include transactions from the reported month but also incorporate a small number of transactions from previous months that were processed subsequently. Each month, the Census Bureau revises the aggregate figures, both seasonally adjusted (nominal and real, or chained-dollar) and unadjusted, for exports, imports, and the trade balance. These revisions also extend to end-use totals for the preceding month. It’s important to note that detailed data by country and commodity, based on classifications like the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) Revision 4 and the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), are not subject to monthly revisions. Exhibit 14 in reports often highlights the “timing adjustment,” which quantifies the difference between initially reported monthly data and the recompiled figures after revisions.

For example, in the data release for December 2024, unadjusted exports and imports of goods for November 2024 were revised upwards by a negligible amount (less than $0.1 billion each). “Carry-over” figures, representing transactions initially intended for a prior month but processed later, are also reported. For December 2024, goods carry-over was $0.5 billion for exports and $0.1 billion for imports, representing small percentages of total trade.

Quarterly Revisions to Chain-Weighted Dollar Series: In March, June, September, and December, deeper revisions are applied to the real, or chained-dollar, series presented in exhibits 10 and 11. These quarterly revisions affect the preceding five months of data. The purpose is to incorporate updates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to price indexes. These price indexes are crucial for calculating the real (inflation-adjusted) series and for ensuring Census data aligns with the national income and product accounts (NIPAs) published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).

Annual Revisions: A comprehensive annual revision occurs each June. This revision focuses on not seasonally adjusted goods data and aims to redistribute monthly data that arrived too late for inclusion in the correct reporting month. Furthermore, it incorporates corrections received after the monthly revision cycle. Seasonally adjusted data are also recalculated to reflect updated seasonal and trading-day adjustments. These annual revisions impact totals, end-use categories, commodities, and country-level summary data, ensuring the most accurate historical trade picture.

Other Revisions: For December and January releases, an additional revision process is applied to each prior month of the most recent full year. This adjustment ensures that the sum of seasonally adjusted monthly figures precisely matches the annual totals, maintaining consistency across different reporting periods.

U.S./Canada Data Exchange and Substitution

A unique aspect of U.S. trade statistics involves data exchange and substitution with Canada. Data for U.S. exports to Canada are derived from import data compiled by Canada. This reciprocal arrangement requires careful alignment to ensure comparability between the two nations’ trade figures. Several key alignment considerations exist:

1. Coverage: Canadian import data are based on the country of origin. This means if goods originate in the U.S. but are shipped to Canada from a third country, they are included in Canadian import statistics. U.S. export statistics, however, exclude these shipments of foreign goods. In December 2024, these shipments totaled $175.7 million. U.S. export coverage also excludes U.S. postal shipments to Canada, which amounted to $15.4 million in December 2024. Conversely, U.S. import coverage includes shipments of railcars and locomotives from Canada. Since January 2004, Canada has excluded these shipments from its goods exports to the U.S., creating a coverage difference for these specific goods.

2. Valuation: Canadian imports are valued at the point of origin within the United States. U.S. exports, however, are valued at the U.S. port of exit, which includes inland freight charges. This inherent difference makes the U.S. export value slightly higher than the corresponding Canadian import value. To address this, Canada mandates separate reporting of inland freight from the value of goods. Combining this reported inland freight with the Canadian import value provides a more consistent valuation for U.S. exports when comparing the two datasets. In December 2024, inland freight charges represented 1.7 percent of the value of U.S. exports to Canada.

3. Re-exports: U.S. exports include re-exports, which are foreign goods that initially entered the U.S. as imports and are then exported again in essentially the same condition. Canadian imports, being based on country of origin, do not include these re-exports. Consequently, the aggregate U.S. export figure is slightly larger than the Canadian import figure. In December 2024, re-exports to Canada totaled $4,432.8 million.

4. Exchange Rate: To ensure data comparability in U.S. currency, average monthly exchange rates are applied to convert Canadian data. For December 2024, the average exchange rate was 1.4247 Canadian dollars per U.S. dollar.

5. Other Minor Differences: Statistically insignificant differences may arise due to factors like rounding errors.

Canadian Estimates: Since January 2001, U.S. export data to Canada incorporates estimates for late arrivals and corrections within the current month’s data. In the subsequent month’s release, specifically in news release exhibits, these estimates are replaced with the actual values of late receipts and corrections. This estimation process enhances the accuracy of current month export data to Canada and ensures a more consistent treatment of late receipts compared to exports to other countries.

Nonsampling Errors in Goods Data

While Census-based goods data represents a complete enumeration of CBP documents and is not subject to sampling errors, it is still susceptible to nonsampling errors. Rigorous quality assurance procedures are implemented at every stage of data collection, processing, and tabulation to minimize these errors. However, several types of nonsampling errors can occur:

Reporting Errors: These errors stem from mistakes or omissions made by importers, exporters, or their agents when completing import or export declarations. Common reporting errors include missing or invalid commodity classification codes and incorrect quantities or shipping weights. While these errors have a negligible impact on aggregate import, export, and trade balance statistics, they can affect the accuracy of detailed commodity statistics.

Undocumented Shipments: Federal regulations mandate reporting of all merchandise shipments exceeding established exemption levels. However, the Census Bureau acknowledges that not all required documents are filed, particularly for exports. This underreporting represents a source of nonsampling error.

Timeliness and Data Capture Errors: The Census Bureau relies on administrative documents and automated collection programs to capture import and export information. Documents can be lost, and data entry processes can introduce errors through incorrect keying, coding, or recording. Transactions processed late may be included in subsequent months’ statistics, affecting the timeliness of data for the intended reporting period.

Low-Valued Transactions: Transactions with values at or below $2,500 for exports and $2,000 (or $250 for certain quota items) for imports are estimated for each country. These estimations utilize factors based on historical ratios of low-valued shipments to individual country totals. This estimation methodology, while efficient, introduces a degree of approximation and potential error.

The Census Bureau emphasizes that data users should consider these potential nonsampling errors when analyzing goods trade statistics, as they can influence the conclusions drawn from the data. For a more in-depth discussion of errors affecting goods data, the Census Bureau recommends reviewing “U.S. Merchandise Trade Statistics: A Quality Profile” (October 2014).

Area Groupings for Trade Statistics

To facilitate analysis and reporting, the Census Bureau utilizes various area groupings to aggregate trade data by geographic region and economic blocs. These groupings are consistently applied across different statistical releases. Key area groupings include:

• North America: Canada, Mexico.
• Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR): Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua.
• Europe: A comprehensive list encompassing countries from Albania to Vatican City, including both EU and non-EU nations, reflecting a broad geographic definition of Europe.
• European Union: Specifically includes member states of the European Union as defined at the time of reporting, currently listing Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
• Euro Area: Nations within the European Union that have adopted the Euro currency, including Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain.
• Pacific Rim: Countries bordering the Pacific Ocean, including Australia, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea (South), Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan.
• South/Central America: A geographically expansive region from Anguilla to Venezuela, including Caribbean islands, Central American nations, and South American countries.
• Africa: The African continent, from Algeria to Zimbabwe, covering North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and island nations.

Adjustments for Seasonal and Trading-Day Variations in Goods Data

Raw trade data often exhibits seasonal patterns and trading-day variations that can obscure underlying economic trends. To address this, the Census Bureau applies adjustments for seasonal and trading-day variations to goods data.

Goods are initially classified using the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Harmonized System), an internationally recognized standard for traded goods classification. This system forms the basis for the U.S. Schedule B (exports) and Harmonized Tariff Schedule (imports). Trade data is then aggregated into approximately 140 export and 140 import end-use categories, enabling analysis based on the principal uses of goods (exhibits 7 and 8). These end-use categories serve as the foundation for computing seasonally and trading-day adjusted data. These adjusted figures are then further summed into six end-use aggregates for publication (exhibit 6). The Census Bureau provides this seasonally adjusted data to the BEA for incorporation into the NIPAs and the U.S. international transactions accounts (balance of payments accounts).

Exhibit 19 presents goods data (Census basis) that are seasonally adjusted for specific countries and world areas. Unlike the commodity-based adjustments described above, these adjustments are developed and applied directly at the country and world area levels. For overall export and import totals, data users are advised to refer to the commodity-based totals in other exhibits. It’s crucial to note that seasonally adjusted country and world area data will not sum to the seasonally adjusted commodity-based totals. This discrepancy arises because these two sets of adjusted data are derived from different aggregations of export and import data and employ distinct seasonal adjustment models. Therefore, caution is advised when comparing these two sets of seasonally adjusted series.

The seasonal adjustment procedure used (X-13ARIMA-SEATS) relies on a model that estimates monthly fluctuations as percentages above or below the general level of a series, rather than redistributing actual series values across the calendar year. Due to the highly variable nature of aircraft trade data, users analyzing data trends may find it beneficial to analyze aircraft trade separately from overall trade figures.

Adjustments for Price Change in Goods Data

To isolate real changes in trade volume from price fluctuations, goods data is also adjusted for price change. This adjustment, presented on a real, or chained-dollar, basis (with 2017 as the reference year) in exhibits 10 and 11, utilizes the Fisher chain-weighted methodology. The deflators used in this process are primarily based on monthly price indexes published by the BLS, employing techniques developed by the BEA for the NIPAs. This price adjustment provides a more accurate reflection of the real quantity of goods traded over time.

Principal Commodities in Goods Trade

Exhibit 15 provides a breakdown of goods data classified according to the SITC Revision 4, with specific exceptions for agricultural and manufactured goods. Agricultural goods are defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) based on World Trade Organization guidelines. They encompass non-fishery food products, raw fibers, feeds, and derivatives. Manufactured goods adhere to the NAICS definition, consisting of goods that have undergone mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation. It’s important to note that USDA agricultural goods and NAICS manufactured goods are not mutually exclusive categories.

Re-exports, as mentioned earlier, are foreign merchandise initially imported and then exported in substantially the same condition. While included in overall export totals, re-exports are presented as separate line items in exhibit 15, providing transparency about this component of trade.

Advanced Technology Products in Trade

Within the realm of goods trade, advanced technology products are specifically identified and tracked. Approximately 500 out of roughly 22,000 Schedule B and Harmonized Tariff Schedule classification codes are designated as “advanced technology” codes. These codes meet specific criteria:

1. They encompass products whose technology originates from a recognized high technology field (e.g., biotechnology).
2. These products represent cutting-edge technology within their respective fields.
3. Such products constitute a significant portion of all items classified under the selected code.

Aggregating data for these advanced technology product codes provides a measure of advanced technology trade, presented in exhibits 16 and 16a. This product- and commodity-based measure of advanced technology trade differs from broader NAICS-based measures, which encompass all goods produced by a particular industry group, regardless of the technology level embodied in those goods. The advanced technology product classification offers a more focused view on trade in truly high-technology items.

Goods Trade in the Advance Economic Indicators Report

In addition to the comprehensive U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services report (FT-900), the Census Bureau also releases preliminary statistics on international trade in goods through the Advance Economic Indicators Report (Advance Report). This report, released approximately 24 to 26 calendar days after the end of the reference month, provides an earlier snapshot of goods trade compared to the FT-900, which is released around 34 to 36 days after the month’s end.

Trade statistics in the Advance Report offer nearly complete coverage of goods trade, while the FT-900 provides complete coverage. The Advance Report includes preliminary goods trade statistics on a Census basis, categorized by principal end-use category. This allows for a timely, high-level overview of U.S. international trade for the featured month. Detailed commodity and country breakdowns, as well as goods trade data on a balance of payments (BOP) basis and services trade data, are released subsequently in the FT-900. Further information about the Advance Report can be found in the Advance Report Frequently Asked Questions.

The FT-900 serves as the primary data source for goods trade figures used in BEA’s quarterly gross domestic product (GDP) statistics. However, for the advance GDP estimate, FT-900 data for the third month of the quarter is not yet available. Therefore, BEA utilizes data from the Advance Report for this purpose. As the Advance Report only provides goods trade data on a Census basis by principal end-use category, BEA applies adjustments, such as BOP and coverage adjustments, to the Advance Report statistics to generate detailed estimates for incorporation into the advance GDP estimate. Details on these adjustments can be found in the “Key Source Data and Assumptions” table accompanying each GDP release.

Goods (BOP Basis) and Services: A Broader Perspective

While Census-based goods data provides valuable insights into the physical movement of merchandise, a broader perspective is offered by goods on a BOP basis and services. Quarterly and annual statistics for goods on a BOP basis and for services are integral components of the U.S. international transactions accounts (ITAs), published by the BEA. These ITAs are released in news releases in March, June, September, and December and subsequently in the Survey of Current Business in January, April, July, and October. The ITAs provide a more comprehensive view of U.S. international economic activity.

Furthermore, the BEA releases detailed monthly and quarterly goods statistics, including data on trade in goods by end-use category and commodity, presented on both a Census and BOP basis. Detailed annual services statistics are also published, offering breakdowns of U.S. trade in services by type and by country/area, as well as data on services supplied through affiliates of multinational enterprises, categorized by industry and geography.

Goods (BOP Basis): Adjustments for Economic Accounting

Goods on a BOP basis represent an adjusted version of Census-based goods data. These adjustments, applied by the BEA, align the data with the concepts and definitions used in preparing international and national economic accounts. These adjustments are essential for refining the scope of Census data, eliminating transaction duplications, and valuing transactions at market prices. They involve both additions to and deductions from Census-based goods data, presented in statistical releases as net adjustments. Adjustments exhibiting significant seasonal patterns are also seasonally adjusted. Detailed quarterly and annual statistics for these net adjustments are available in ITA Table 2.4. U.S. International Trade in Goods, Balance of Payments Adjustments.

Export Adjustments (BOP Basis) Include:

• Gold exports, nonmonetary: An addition for gold purchased by foreign official agencies from private U.S. dealers and held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Census data only captures gold physically leaving U.S. customs territory.
• Goods procured in U.S. ports by foreign carriers: An addition for fuel purchases by foreign air and ocean carriers in U.S. ports.
• Net exports of goods under merchanting: An addition to include the net value of goods bought and resold abroad without ever entering the U.S. customs frontier.

Other export adjustments include deductions for equipment repairs, developed motion picture film, military grant-aid, and certain Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program goods (prior to 2010). Additions are made for sales of fish caught in U.S. waters, electricity exports to Mexico, private gift parcels, military goods transferred via grants, vessels and oil rigs changing ownership, market valuation of software exports, low-value transactions (1999-2009), and FMS goods exports reported by the Department of Defense (prior to 2010).

Import Adjustments (BOP Basis) Include:

• Gold imports, nonmonetary: An addition for gold sold by foreign official agencies to private purchasers from stocks held at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Census data only includes gold entering U.S. customs territory.
• Goods procured in foreign ports by U.S. carriers: An addition for fuel purchases by U.S. air and ocean carriers in foreign ports.
• Imports by U.S. military agencies: An addition for goods purchased abroad by U.S. military agencies, reported by the Department of Defense. Census data only captures military imports entering U.S. customs territory.
• Inland freight in Canada and Mexico: An addition to account for inland freight costs in Canada and Mexico. BOP valuation aims to reflect the cost of goods at the U.S. border for imports from these countries, while Census valuation may be at the point of origin in Canada or Mexico.

Other import adjustments include deductions for equipment repairs, repairs to U.S. vessels abroad, and developed motion picture film. Additions are made for non-reported imports of locomotives/railcars and aircraft from Canada and Mexico, electricity imports from Mexico, conversion of vessels for commercial use, market valuation of software imports, and low-value transactions (1999-2009).

Services: Intangible Trade Flows

Services statistics encompass transactions between foreign countries and the 50 U.S. states, D.C., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and other U.S. territories. Transactions involving U.S. military, diplomatic, and consular installations abroad are excluded, as these are considered part of the U.S. economy itself.

Services data is compiled from quarterly, annual, and benchmark surveys, along with monthly reports from government and private sectors. For service categories lacking monthly data, monthly statistics are derived from quarterly data through temporal distribution or interpolation, using the modified Denton proportional first difference method. This method maintains the pattern of monthly indicator series (if available) while adhering to annual aggregation constraints. More details on this methodology are available in “An Empirical Review of Methods for Temporal Distribution and Interpolation in the National Accounts” (May 2008). Services data is seasonally adjusted when statistically significant seasonal patterns are identified.

Services are categorized into eleven broad categories, each representing a distinct type of intangible economic exchange:

1. Maintenance and repair services n.i.e. (not included elsewhere): Repair services performed by residents of one country on goods owned by residents of another. Excludes repairs included in goods prices. Computer repairs are under computer services; some transport equipment repairs are under transport; construction repairs are under construction.

2. Transport: Movement of people and freight, including air, sea, rail, road, space, and pipeline. Includes supporting services like postal/courier and port services (cargo handling, storage).

3. Travel (for all purposes including education): Goods and services acquired by nonresidents while abroad (stay < 1 year, or education/medical treatment regardless of stay length). Includes lodging, meals, in-country transport, entertainment, gifts. Excludes air passenger services (in transport) and goods for resale (in goods). Includes both business and personal travel.

4. Construction: Services to create, renovate, repair buildings, land improvements, civil engineering projects. Conceptually includes inputs purchased by foreign contractors in the U.S. (exports) and U.S. contractors abroad (imports), but U.S. export data currently lacks the former component.

5. Insurance services: Direct insurance (life, non-life, reinsurance, freight), and auxiliary insurance services (commissions, brokerage, consulting, actuarial). Measured as premiums earned + premium supplements – claims payable, adjusted for claims volatility.

6. Financial services: Financial intermediary and auxiliary services (excluding insurance). Includes banking services, securities brokerage/underwriting, financial management/advisory, custody services, credit card services, securities lending, electronic funds transfer, and implicit fees/margins (FISIM).

7. Charges for the use of intellectual property n.i.e.: Charges for proprietary rights (patents, trademarks, copyrights, franchises) and licenses to reproduce/distribute intellectual property (books, software, films, recordings). Excludes end-user rights for general software (computer services) and audiovisual content (personal, cultural, recreational services).

8. Telecommunications, computer, and information services: Telecommunications (transmission of sound, images, data, excluding value of transmitted information). Computer services (hardware/software related, data processing, customized software sales/licenses, software downloads). Information services (news agencies, databases, web portals). Packaged software with perpetual licenses is in goods.

9. Other business services: Research and development (R&D), professional/management consulting, technical/trade-related/other business services. R&D includes basic/applied research, experimental development, and sales of R&D outcomes (patents, copyrights). Consulting includes legal, accounting, management, PR, advertising, market research. Technical/trade-related includes architectural/engineering, waste treatment, operational leasing, trade-related services.

10. Personal, cultural, and recreational services: Audiovisual services (production, end-user rights, originals sales/purchases). Artistic-related services (performing artists, authors, visual artists, design, promotion of live events, artist/athlete fees). Other personal/cultural/recreational (online education, telemedicine, museum/cultural/sporting/gambling/recreational activities, excluding those for travelers).

11. Government goods and services n.i.e.: Goods and services supplied by/to enclaves (embassies, military bases, international organizations). Goods/services acquired by diplomats/military personnel abroad and their dependents from host economies. Government goods/services not categorized elsewhere. Classified to specific categories when data permits.

Goods (BOP Basis) and Services by Country and Area

While monthly country and area detail is not available for goods on a BOP basis or for services, quarterly statistics, seasonally adjusted by geography, are presented in exhibit 20. These adjustments are applied directly at the country/world area level, unlike commodity/service type adjustments for global totals. Similar to seasonal adjustments for goods, seasonally adjusted country and world area data for services will not sum to the by-service type totals. This is due to different data aggregations and seasonal adjustment models. Caution is advised when comparing these two sets of seasonally adjusted series.

Area definitions for exhibit 20 are generally consistent with Census basis area groupings, with minor exceptions. CAFTA-DR is not available for services due to lack of seasonality review. For BOP-basis goods and services, the European Union definition reflects the composition at the time of reporting.

Revision Procedure for Goods (BOP Basis) and Services

Revision procedures for goods on a BOP basis and services differ slightly from Census-basis goods revisions.

Monthly Revisions: Each month, a preliminary estimate for the current month and a revised estimate for the prior month are released. After this initial revision, no further monthly revisions occur until more comprehensive data becomes available in March, June, September, and December.

Quarterly Revisions: Releases in March, June, September, and December incorporate revised estimates for the preceding six months, reflecting more complete and updated source data.

Annual Revisions: Each June, historical data is revised to incorporate newly available and revised source data, definition/classification changes, and estimation method updates. Seasonally adjusted data is also recalculated to reflect updated seasonal and trading-day adjustments.

Other Revisions: The December release revises goods data for January-November of the current year. The January release revises both goods and services for all months of the preceding year. These revisions align seasonally adjusted monthly figures with annual totals.

Data Availability and Resources

The FT-900 report and its supplement are publicly accessible at www.census.gov/ft900 and www.bea.gov/data/intl-trade-investment/international-trade-goods-and-services.

Data Access Resources:

• Census Bureau’s API: www.census.gov/developers provides an API for custom application development and easier access to Census data.
• BEA’s data API: apps.bea.gov/API/signup/ offers programmatic access to BEA’s economic statistics using industry-standard methods.

This guide provides a detailed overview of the methodologies and definitions underpinning U.S. international trade statistics for goods and services. Understanding these nuances is essential for accurate interpretation and analysis of trade data, contributing to informed decision-making in business and policy.