WITS World Integrated Trade Solution Training

1. WITSWorld Integrated Trade SolutionTraining Washington March 2004

2. Program • What is WITS and How to Access • WITS for Trade Data Analysis • WITS for Tariff data Analysis • WITS Simulation Tools

3. Introduction • What is WITS ?; Registration and installation; access to databases • Trade Data • Quick and advanced queries, COMTRADE, TRAINS, IDB • Tariff data • Tariff statistics, WTO IDB and CTS, UNCTAD TRAINS

4. The WITS Software UNSD COMTRADE WTO IDB/CTS UNCTAD TRAINS What is WITS? WITS is a software, not a database,but it sits on databases. Databases

5. The WITS Technology WITS is client-server based Connected via Internet The WITSClient Your computer No data The WITS Server WB – HQ Hosts the Databases

6. What is WITS? The WITS software is both : • A gateway to trade and protection statistics • An analytical tool : • Data extraction and analysis • Tariff change simulations

7. Getting Access to WITS Contractual arrangements

8. Getting Access to WITS A 3 step process: • Registration is required for first time users • Download and install the WITS client software on your machine • Connect to WITS server through Internet For all information and registration, visit our website at: http://wits.worldbank.org/witsweb

9. WITS Information Web Site

10. WITS Registration in details 1. Type the WITS web site address in your Internet Explorer browser 2. Click on Registration to open the WITS registration home page

11. WITS Registration in details Click on the button to start the registration process

12. WITS Registration in details You must check the box to activate the Continue Registration button.

13. WITS Registration in details Fill all the fields and click the button to continue with the next registration page. Use your professional email address rather than a personal one.

14. WITS Registration in detail Government Government offices Sponsored Consultants for UNCTAD or World Bank Paid by Subscription All others New Form is under consideration

15. WITS Registration in details Your registration is completed. Click on the link to close the registration window.

16. WITS Registration in details • Your WITS account is opened immediately for governments and for others as soon as your sponsor confirms it or your payment is received. • You then receive a confirmation email with: • your password; • a link to download the WITS client software.

17. 1 2 3 4 5 WITS Overview The WITS home page internet address. The WITS menu bar gives access to all functionalities through 5 menus.

18. Overview: Help and information • The Help and Information menu gives access to information on: • Data availability for each database (4 catalogs) • Available product classifications (nomenclatures) and their structure • Concordances between classifications • WITS client software version (About us) • As well as direct access to: • WITS online help • WITS information website

19. Overview: Utilities • The Utilities menu offers tools for advanced users: • Create country groups • Create product groups • Define tariff changes • Restore queries from server

20. Overview: Quick Query • The Quick Database Query menu offers the easiest and quickest way for retrieving simple information from the databases • TheQuick Database Query menu proposes 8 different options: • 2 quick queries from COMTRADE • 3 quick queries from TRAINS • 3 quick queries from WTO databases • 2 from WTO IDB • 1 from WTO CTS

21. Overview: Advanced query • The Advanced Query menu offers flexibility to advanced users for: • Multi-country/period extractions of trade and tariff information mainly from COMTRADE, and TRAINS • Calculation of protection statistics • Advanced queries can be saved and reused

22. Overview: Analytical tools • The Analytical tools menu offers two options: • The Doha proposals module allows users to simulate tariff cut proposals • The SMART simulation model allows users to estimate the partial equilibrium impact of tariff reductions for a single market at a time

23. Trade data

24. Databases with trade data • Trade data is available in three databases: • COMTRADE • TRAINS • WTO IDB

25. Databases with trade data Trade data at a glance: PROS CONS COMTRADE Best country/period coverage (from 1962 in SITC and 1988 in HS);Imports and Exports (and Re-exports for some cases) HS 6 digits at the most detailed level TRAINS Trade data at national tariff line level. About 70 countries;Import flows only. IDB Trade data at national tariff line level. About 70 countries only;Import flows only.

26. Data availability • In Help & Information, open a catalog and look for availability of data you are interested in; • Information is displayed by country, year and product nomenclature.

27. Data availability: COMTRADE catalog The catalog shows Country/Period data availability by Nomenclature/Revision. • Information box on codes used in the table: • I : imports • E : Exports • R : Re-exports Use the vertical scroll bar to go through the countries, the horizontal one to go through the years.

28. Data availability: other catalogs • Information on data availability can be retrieved the same way for the TRAINS and IDB database catalogs.

29. A word on Nomenclatures • Trade data have been recorded according to several product nomenclatures depending on the database and year: • Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) • Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) • Data can be displayed in some other nomenclatures thanks to concordances and up to HS 6 digit level.

30. Querying COMTRADE • Quick Query / COMTRADE by country, period generates output for all products for one reporter, one (or all) partner(s) and one year.

31. COMTRADE by Country/Period Query specification in details: 1. Select the desired nomenclature (product classification).

32. COMTRADE by Country/Period Query specification in details: 2. Select the level (tier) of the products. In other words, how detailed you would like the system to display the data. The Tier structure depends on the chosen nomenclature.

33. COMTRADE by Country/Period Query specification in details: 3. Select the trade flow.

34. COMTRADE by Country/Period Query specification in details: 4. Select the Reporting Country, which means the one for which you want to display the type of flow you selected.

35. COMTRADE by Country/Period Query specification in details: 5. Select the Year. WITS displays only the years for which data exist in COMTRADE.

36. COMTRADE by Country/Period Query specification in details: 6. Select the Partner Country. You can choose either one individual country, World (one aggregated flow for all partners) or All Partners (one flow by partner country).

37. COMTRADE by Country/Period Query specification in details: 7. Once the parameters are all set, click on View data to send the request to the WITS server and display the data.

38. COMTRADE by Country/Period Data can be sorted for any field by clicking on column headings. WITS indicates the number of lines retrieved from the database.

39. COMTRADE by Country/Period Check the box to see a description of each product line. Extracted data can be saved as a file and opened in a statistical or spreadsheet software for further computation.

40. COMTRADE by Product • Quick Query / COMTRADE by product produces output for one product for one or more years, reporters and partner countries.

41. COMTRADE by Product Query specification in details: Choose Nomenclature, Tier and Flow type as seen in COMTRADE by Country/Period.

42. COMTRADE by Product Query specification in details: Choose the Product category you want to display. The level of details depends on the chosen Tier.

43. COMTRADE by Product Query specification in details: Check the Years, Reporters and Partners you want. Note that you can select several items in each field Once the parameters are all set, click on View data to send the request to the WITS server and display the data.

44. COMTRADE by Product WITS displays one line for each selected reporter having data matching your query. Click on the plus sign to get detailed data for the corresponding country.

45. COMTRADE by Product WITS displays selected partners and trade value for a given product and reporter for each selected and available year. Scroll down to see next selected reporter dataset.

46. Dealing with mirror data • When some data are missing, it can be useful to use partner’s mirror data (exports – imports) to fill gaps. • However, one has to be very careful because: • Of the FOB – CIF issue; • Of the difference in reporting quality when a country deals with imports and exports; • Of the difference in reporting quality from one country to another. • Example: Pakistan (exports)– China (imports) in 2001 236 M US$ 557 M US$

47. Querying TRAINS • TRAINS – Trade, tariffs, NTBs produces output for the value of imports at the tariff line level (where available) for all partners, for a single product in a single year. • TRAINS – View and export raw data produces output for the value of imports at the tariff line level for all products, for a single year. • TRAINS - User criteria allows for retrieving all import lines above a user specified value.

48. TRAINS – View & Export Raw Data 1. Select Tariff Line Imports as data type.

49. TRAINS – View & Export Raw Data 2. Select the reporting country (Reporter), Year and Partner. Once the parameters are all set, click on View data to send the request to the WITS server and display the data.

50. TRAINS – View & Export Raw Data Click on the column heading to sort by most traded products. WITS displays the number of commodity lines for which USA imports from Pakistan. The most imported product line. Extracted data can be saved as a file and opened in a statistical or spreadsheet software for further computation.