Rising uncertainties and geo-political tensions, together with more complex trade relations, have increased the demand for timely data and tools to monitor global trade. At the same time, advances in Big Data analytics and access to large quantities of alternative data – outside the realm of official statistics – have opened new avenues to track trade developments. These data can help identify bottlenecks, disruptions and emerging trends in near real time, but need to be carefully cleaned, validated and interpreted.
One such alternative data source is the Automatic Identification System (AIS), developed by the International Maritime Organisation on to facilitate the tracking of vessels across the globe. The system includes messages transmitted by ships to land or satellite receivers and is available in quasi real time. While AIS was primarily designed to ensure vessel safety, it is particularly well suited for providing insights on trade developments, as over 80% in volume of international merchandise trade is carried by sea. AIS data also provides granular vessel information and detailed location data which, when combined with other data sources, can support analysis at the country, port and berth levels, by vessel type, product group and trade flow.
New work from the OECD Statistics and Data Directorate builds on previous OECD research using AIS data. It refines the identification of ports by exploiting information at the berth level and combines AIS vessel movements with satellite imagery and a rule-based approach to map maritime activity to 23 commodity groups worldwide. This makes it possible to derive timely, experimental estimates of trade by product, with broad global coverage across ports and berths.
The updated OECD AIS Tracking Dashboard visualises key indicators on maritime activity, ports and trade flows. It retains the country-level indicators on vessel activity, capacity, trade estimates and efficiency measures, while adding new product-level breakdowns that allow users to compare developments across selected commodity groups and identify the main ports for imports and exports. The dashboard also includes a new chokepoints section, currently covering Suez Canal and the Strait of Hormuz, where users can monitor vessel composition and product-level flows through selected strategic maritime passages.
The indicators remain experimental and are not designed to replace official trade statistics. They are surrounded by uncertainties, especially for containerised trade, and will continue to be refined by complementing AIS data with additional sources. Nevertheless, they provide a useful and timely source of information to monitor maritime trade dynamics, identify turning points and better understand disruptions at the country, product, port and chokepoint levels.
