Statistical Databases: OECD Statistics on International Trade in Services

OECD Statistics on International Trade in Services

OECD Statistics on International Trade in Services consists of two components. For information on the contents of each components, click on the links below:

• OECD Statistics on International Trade in Services - Vol I - Detailed Tables by Service Category
• OECD Statistics on International Trade in Services - Vol II - Detailed Tables by Partner Country

OECD Statistics on International Trade in Services, Volume I - Detailed Tables by Service Category

This joint publication of OECD and Eurostat seeks to provide detailed data of international trade in services between residents and non-residents of the 30 OECD Member countries broken down by type of service according to a common classification and conceptual framework.

An important feature of the publication is the implementation of the 1993 Fifth Edition of the Balance of Payments Manual of the International Monetary Fund (BPM5) and the presentation of the Extended Balance of Payments Servicesi (EBOPS) Classification (given in Appendix 1). The EBOPS classification is closely linked to the BPM5. EBOPS can be characterised as a disaggregation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) classification for balance of payments transactions in trade in services. The main categories of this classification are identical to the 11 main service categories of the BPM5 standard components, with one minor exception, the treatment of construction services, which can also affect other business services. The EBOPS classification asks for construction abroad and construction in the compiling economy. These items both include goods and services purchased by construction services operations, while BPM5 recommends that these expenditures for goods and services purchased in the host economy be included in Other business services, Other. With this one exception, compiling and reporting on the basis of the EBOPS classification simultaneously satisfies IMF requirements.

The EBOPS classification is designed to address some of the detailed information needs of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). As yet, countries are not in a position to provide all the detailed data required in the EBOPS classification. It can be expected that the resulting missing data may over time be reduced.

The data are presented in a 5-dimensional table. The five dimensions of the table are

• countries,
• currencies (millions of United States dollars or national currency),
• items of the Extended Balance of Payments Services (EBOPS) Classification,
• flows and
• time period.

Data is shown from 1970 onwards for those countries for which data are available. All series are also presented in comma-delimited text files (CSV) on the CD-ROM. Data for Belgium and Luxembourg are presented together as the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union, although from 2002 data are reported separately.

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OECD Statistics on International Trade in Services, Volume II: Detailed Tables by Partner Country

This database provides trade in services data broken down by partner country for total services and four broad service categories, according to a common methodology and framework. Data broken down by partner country are currently available for 26 OECD member countries, at varying levels of details. Data for at least the main trading partners for each declaring country are provided. The data in this
edition cover the years 1999 onwards. . It provides partner country breakdowns for trade in services as a whole, transport services, travel, other commercial services, and government services.

The trade in services data are based on the concepts and framework of trade in services set out in the fifth edition of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Balance of Payments Manual (BPM5) and refer to trade between residents of the reporting country and non-residents. Total services cover transportation, travel, communications, construction, insurance, finance, royalties and license fees, other business services, personal, cultural and recreational services and government services.

The OECD Secretariat has obtained data broken down by partner country for 26 of its member countries plus aggregates for the European Union (EU), the euro area and European Union institutions; and Hong Kong, China, which is a non-member country that is in the top ten service exporters in the world. These 26 OECD countries and Hong Kong, China accounted for about 78% of reported world service exports and about 74% of world services imports. However not all the services trade of these 27 countries can be allocated by partner so the percentage that can be allocated by partners is slightly lower i.e. about 75% for exports and about 71% for imports.

The data are presented in a 5-dimensional table. The five dimensions of the table are

• reporting countries,
• partner countries,
• series (Transport services, Travel, Other commercial services, and Government services not included elsewhere (n.i.e.),
• the flows (imports or exports) and
• time period.

Data is shown from 1999 to 2001 for those countries for which data are available. All series are also presented in comma-delimited text files (CSV) on the CD-ROM.

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