External Trade of Georgia, 2012 - GeoStat.Ge

Short describing methodologyIn Georgia external trade statistics data are collected according to the recommendations of theUnited Nations Statistics Department “International Merchandise Trade Statistics” (IMTS 2010),(Concepts and Definitions, United Nations, New York USA 2011).For External Trade Georgia uses the “general method”, which means that crossing a border ofthe economic territory of the country is the main criterion for determining exports and imports.Export implies both export of domestic production and re-export of imported goods. Import impliesimporting of the production and re-import of exported goods.Export is valued at FOB prices, are used to value export i.e. prices at the border of the exportingcountry (this term means that the seller’s obligation to deliver is fulfilled when the goods have passedover the ship’s rail at the named port of shipment), while import is valued at CIF prices, that is, transportationcosts to the border of the importing country included in the prices as well as insurancecosts.There are following criteria to determine the partner country: for imports the country of origin orthe sending country, while for exports the country of destination.Database of Customs Declarations (DBCD) is the main information source on external tradetransactions. National Statistics office (NSO) receives DBCD monthly from the Revenue Service ofMinistry of Finance of Georgia. Information on external trade by motor cars is provided additionally bythe Service Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, on gas and electric power is obtained from correspondingsources, to complete the data.Based on received information, NSO carries out the following activities:- Checks DBCD – commodity codes, prices, weights, dates of customs declarations, countrycodes for origin/destination, non-existent codes of country and commodity;- Controls the limits on prices main commodities and adjusts quantities or prices or supplementaryunit;- Removes from the database commodities which should not be classified as external merchandisetrade according to the internationally approved methodology (securities, bank notes and coins incirculation; diplomatic and other analogous goods).“Commodity Nomenclature for External Economic Activities” based on the Harmonized CommodityCoding and Description System (HS 2012), is used during the registration of the border crossingtransactions.The value indicators are given in USD. Calculation of the statistical value in USD is carried outby customs services during the registration of customs declarations according to the official exchangerates established by the Interbank Monetary Exchange at the moment of the registration.9