First Meeting of the Working Party on International Trade in Goods and Trade in Services Statistics (WPTGS), Paris, 22-24 September 2008

1.

Welcome and adoption of the agenda

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)A

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)M

2.

Opening

a)

Election of Chair WPTGS

b)

Election of the WPTGS Bureau

c)

For information and comments: Terms of Reference of the WPTGS

CE(2007)9

3.

New developments at OECD (oral report)

a)

OECD summary update on recent events

Information

b)

Enlargement and Enhanced Engagement: the impact on OECD's trade statistics (STD)

4.

New Developments in OECD Member Countries, Accession Countries  and Enhanced Engagement  Countries (summary by the Chair or by the Secretariat)

Information

5.

Inter-Agency Co-operation and coordination

a)

Report from the Inter-Agency Merchandise Trade Statistics Task Force and Joint session of TFIMTS and TFITS (WTO)

Information and discussion

b)

Update from UNSD on IMTS Concepts and Definitions Manual Revision 3 and status of world-wide consultation (UNSD)

Information and discussion

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)2

c)

New ExtraStat Regulations (Eurostat)

Information and discussion

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)3

d)

OECD and the future of Inter-Agency co-operation on Trade Statistics (OECD)

Discussion

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)4

Delegates will be asked to advise the Secretariat in its reflection on future strategy to be adopted

6.

Improving data quality and analysis

a)

Canadian export undercoverage to non-US destinations (Canada)

Discussion

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)5

b)

Country report on specific achievements regarding quality or better understanding (Country report)

Discussion

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)6

c)

Country report on specific achievements regarding quality or better understanding (Country report)

Discussion

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)7

7.

Methodological Research and Analysis

a)

Towards a better statistical measurement of re-exports (Country report)

Discussion

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)8

b)

Harmonising international bilateral trade data for inter-country input-output analysis (OECD/STI)

Information and discussion

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)9

c)

Increasing the relevance of trade statistics: Trade by High-Tech products (OECD)

Information and discussion

d)

What explains Germany's rebounding export market share? (IMF - to be confirmed)

Information and discussion

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)11

8.

Linking Trade with Structural Business Statistics

a)

OECD progress report (OECD/STD) - what is the scope for additional Non-EU countries of OECD to join in?

Information and reaction from Non-EU countries’ delegates

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)12

b)

Eurostat progress report (EUROSTAT)

Information

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)13

9.

a) Provisional conclusions and future Programme of Work on Merchandise Trade Statistics - developing a longer term strategy for IMTS compilation

Discussion and proposals from OECD countries, accession countries and enhanced engagement countries' delegates

b) Other business

Globalisation and Cross-cutting Issues

Welcome and opening by E. Giovannini, Chief Statistician of OECD and
Director of the Statistics Directorate

10.

Globalisation and Trade

a)

Pulling it all together:  The “Globalisation Cube” –Presentation by the Secretariat

Discussion

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)14

b)

OECDs  Economic Globalisation  Indicators Publication 2008: state of play of the 2nd EGI publication  (OECD/STI and STD)

Information and discussion. Delegates are invited to comment and suggest additional indicators

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)15

c)

Trading tasks in a global world: Towards a unified classification of trade in goods and trade in services (OECD/STD)

Information and discussion. Delegates are invited to express their views on the approach outlined

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)16

d)

Building up a Maritime Transport Costs database (OECD/TAD)

Information and discussion

e)

Rising fuel prices and trade: A macro-economic impact analysis for big traders (Germany)

Information and discussion

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)17

11.

Revision of the Balance of Payments Manual

a)

Progress report IMF

Information

b)

Goods for Processing

Discussion and reaction from IMTS compilers on outlined consequences

i) Draft chapter of the forthcoming IMTS Concepts and Definitions Manual  (UNSD)

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)18

ii) Implications from SNA 2008/BPM6  for trade data compilers:
          - Country presentation (Hong Kong, China)

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)19

iii) Other boundary issues (e.g. software, merchanting, repairs, etc.) -  (WTO/OECD)

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)20

12.

Implementation of BPM6

i)  Australian experience in implementing BPM6 (Australia)

ii) Impact of BPM6 implementation regarding merchanting and goods for processing in Japan

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)21

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)22

13.

Recommendations on reconciling merchandise trade statistics and balance of payments  trade in goods  (Eurostat)

Discussion

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)23

14.

Implementation of the new Benchmark definition of FDI and the research agenda (OECD/DAF)

Information

15.

Provisional conclusions and future Programme of Work on Globalisation Statistics and Cross-cutting issues – can we design a medium-term strategy?

Cocktail reception: 18h-20h

16.

Progress reports on Trade in Services

a)

Eurostat progress on  trade in services and related balance of payments areas (Eurostat)

Information

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)24

b)

Report of TFSITS and Joint Session April 2008   ( OECD)

Information

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)25

17.

Services Trade Restrictiveness Index

Progress report on analytical work on a services trade restrictiveness index (OECD Trade and Agriculture Directorate)

(Delegates will be invited to comment on the statistics component of the project and consider any implications for the future collection of statistics )

Discussion

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)26

18.

Revising the Manual on Statistics of International Trade in Services

a)

Progress report and timetable

Information

b)

Presentation of Draft Chapters of the Revised Manual with main proposed changes and questions for discussion on:
   i)  EBOPS
   ii) FATS
   iii) Chapter on modes of supply
   iv) A new analytical annex
  v)  An annex on cross-cutting issues
 vi) SNA proposals on trade in intellectual property products

Discussion

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)27

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)28

 vii) Trade in health services

(The Secretariat will seek delegates' advice on questions raised in the Manual's worldwide consultation document and questionnaire; see material on: http://unstats.un.org/unsd/tradeserv/TFSITS/msits.htm)

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)29

19.

OECD Data Collection and Dissemination

a)

OECD Progress in  expansion of  partner country data

(Eurostat and UNSD are invited to provide news on any developments

Information

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)30

20.

Research

a)

Globalisation and services revisited, an estimated dataset by modes of supply( OECD/STD)

Information and discussion

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)31

b)

A harmonised trade in services by partner database? – France/CEPII

Information

c)

Estimating bilateral flows in remittances  ( OECD/STD)

Information and discussion

STD/SES/WPTGS(2008)32

21.

a) Provisional conclusions and future Programme of Work on Trade in Services Statistics– developing a longer term strategy for TIS compilation

b) Draft Conclusions of the WPTGS Meeting 2008

22.

a) Other business and date of next  meeting

b) Close