Introduction :
The World Bank, in close collaboration with the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), has developed
the World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS). It accesses and retrieves
information on trade and tariffs which is compiled by the following
international organizations:
-
The United Nation Statistical Division
(UNSD) Commodity Trade (COMTRADE) Data Base that
contains Exports and Imports by Commodity and Partner Country.
Values are recorded in US Dollars along with a variety of quantity
measures. The Data Base includes information for over 130 countries,
some of which have been reporting these types of statistics to
the United Nations since 1962.The data are recorded according
to six internationally recognized trade and tariff classifications.
-
The United Nations Conference on Trade
and Development (UNCTAD) Trade Analysis Information
System (TRAINS) that contains information on Imports,
Tariffs, Para-Tariffs and Non-Tariff Measures for 119 countries.
The data on tariffs, para-tariffs and non-tariff measures are
available at the most detailed commodity level of the national
tariffs (i.e., at the tariff line level). The data are recorded
according to three internationally recognized trade and tariff
classifications.
-
The World Trade Organization
(WTO) Integrated Data Base (IDB) that contain
Imports by Commodity and Partner Country and MFN Applied Tariffs
for over 80 countries at the most detailed commodity level of
the national tariffs; and, the Consolidated Tariff Schedule
Data Base (CTS) that contains WTO Bound Tariffs, Initial Negotiating
Rights (INR) and other indicators. The CTS is the official source
for bound tariffs which are the concessions made by countries
during a negotiation (e.g., the Uruguay Round of Multilateral
Trade Negotiations). The data are recorded according to two internationally
recognized trade and tariff classifications.
Prices :
WITS software is free of charge.
However, databases have different contractual arrangements, therefore
access rights and fees may vary depending on the user's status:
- Access to COMTRADE data can be purchased through UNSD;
- Access to UNCTAD TRAINS can be purchased through UNCTAD;
- Developing country governments have free access to
WTO IDB and CTS data at tariff-line level. WTO 6 digit data are generally
available.
To know more about database fees and access rights, you may want to
visit the related Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQ)
Technical requirements:
- WITS is a client-server software that runs under MS
Windows;
- The WITS client software has to be installed on your
machine;
- Access to WITS server requires an internet connection
and an Internet Browser;
To know more about Technical requirements, you may want to visit the
related Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQ)
Features :
Wits is both :
- a gateway to trade and protection statistics through
the databases listed above, allowing for retrieving, extracting and
even exporting data.
- an analytical and simulation tool to estimate consequences
of changes in tariff.
WITS is continuously undergoing development. New features are regularly
added or updated to enhance the software.
For more details about WITS features, you may want to look at the online help.
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