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Checking Data Availability in WTO IDB

As described in The databases WTO IDB contains information on Imports and Tariffs using the HS nomenclature from 1996 whenever available.

To open the WTO IDB catalog:

  1. Click on Support Materials to open the menu;
  2. Click on the Data Catalog entry.
  3. The default catalog is UN COMTRADE click on WTO-IDB tab to view the WTO IDB catalog.

 
 Data availability is displayed in a table with countries in rows and years in columns with the following information:

  • Country: the reporting country full name;
  • ISO3: the reporting country code using the UN ISO3 codification;
  • Country Code: the reporting country numerical code;

From there, columns list years in reverse order from the latest available year  and back to 1996 (first year of the database). Use the horizontal and vertical scroll bars to navigate through rows and columns respectively.

For a given country/year, an empty cell indicates missing information. The following codes indicate data availability in:

  • T: Tariffs;
  • I: Imports.

Note: for tariffs, indication of availability does not insure complete coverage. For example, some countries may report their MFN Applied tariff structure only and preferential tariffs will be missing. For a comprehensive market access analysis, you may want to make sure protection data is as complete as possible by checking the TRAINS database in WITS or external sources of information.

Sorting the IDB Catalog

The catalog can be sorted by any column by clicking on the column's label. This is particularly useful for identifying countries for which data is available for a given year: simply click on the year's label.

Saving the IDB Catalog

The catalog can be saved as an Excel, csv or tab limited file by clicking on the Download button at the top of the panel. Enter a download Job Name and Job Description. and select the File Format from the dropdown and click on the Download button in the popup window. You can click on Download button to see the download status or Cancel button to continue browsing the WTO IDB catalog.

Next: WTOCTS Catalog

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The World Bank, 2010