International Trade Reference Sourcees

Movement of Goods & Capital

International Economic Accounts / Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Department of Commerce

• Balance of Payments - Trade in goods, services, income, unilateral transfers, and financial assets (annual estimates)
• Trade in Goods & Services - Trade in goods and services (monthly estimates)
• International Services - Trade and sales of services in international markets through multinational companies (annual estimates)
• International Investment Position - Value of accumulated stocks of U.S.-owned assets abroad and of foreign-owned assets in the United States.
• U.S. Direct Investment Abroad - Summary Estimates for Multinational Companies: employment, sales, and capital expenditures
• Foreign Direct Investment in the U.S. - Summary Estimates for Multinational Companies: employment, sales, and capital expenditures

National Accounts Main Aggregates Database / UN

• Complete time series data from 1970 onwards of main national accounts aggregates for all countries and areas of the world

Country and Regional Financial Information

Countries & Regions / World Bank Group

• Data and Statistics- National income accounts; international trade and balance of payments; external and domestic debt; etc. 
• Publications and Reports - Economic assessments and profiles, assistance strategies, World Bank project updates, etc.
• Development topics on major industry sectors

European Economy
Business Library, Reference: HC241.2 .A192

International Financial Statistics Online
Country-by-country data, updated monthly, some series begin wth 1945.

• Exchange rates
• International Monetary Fund position
• International liquidity
• Money and banking accounts
• Interest rates
• Prices and production
• International transactions
• Government accounts
• National accounts
• Population

International Statistical Agencies

• Links to statistical agencies in most countries of the world.
• Maintained by U.S. Census Bureau
• Most data is offered in the official languages of each nation

International Trade Statistics Yearbook / UN
Business Library, Reference: HF91.U47301

• Import/export values and quantities by country for commodities (v. 1)
• Import/export values by commodity for countries (v. 2)
• Commodities are reported by SITC

Monthly Statistics of International Trade / OECD
Business Library, Reference: HF91.O6501
Also available via SourceOECD

Monthly Bulletin of Statistics / UN
Business Library, Reference: HC57.U66

Political Risk Yearbook Online

• Reports on 106 countries
• Political and economic risk analysis
• Political and business information: finding developing markets, determining currency movements, preparing for capital investments, or making judgments about corporate security.

Statistical Yearbook / UN
Social Sciences Library, Reference: HA12.5.U63

World Economic and Social Survey / UN

• Domestic resources for development
• Trade
• International private capital flows
• Official development financing
• External debt
• International monetary system

Import/Export Data

Country and Product Trade Data (U.S. Census Bureau)
Monthly import and export data by:

• country
• end-use
• NAICS
• SITC (Standard International Trade Classification) 

Foreign Trade Statistics (U.S. Census Bureau)

• Monthly, year to date, and annual compilations.
• Imports and exports to and from the U.S.
• Data by end-use, NAICS code, country, etc.

Eurostat (European Union)

• General statistics
• Economy and finance
• Population and social conditions
• Industry, trade and services
• Agriculture and fisheries
• External trade
• Environment and energy.

Industry/Product Codes

• NAICS - North American Industry Classification System
• NAPCS - North American Product Classification System (under development)
• SITC - Standard International Trade Classification

SourceOECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)

• International economic policy and statistics
• Economic indicators
• Monthly Statistics of International Trade
  • Business Library, Reference: HF91 .O6501

UN Comtrade (United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database)

• Commodity trade data
• All available countries and areas
• Since 1962.

International Trade Regulation

World Trade Organization

• General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the WTO’s principal rule-book for trade in goods.
• The Uruguay Round Agreements (1986-1994)
• WTO’s procedures and individual dispute cases under the Dispute Settlement Understanding
• Surveillance of national trade policies
• Text of official documents
• Official news

U.S. Regulation of International Trade

International Trade Reporter: Export Reference Manual
Business Library, Reference: HF1010.I53

U.S. Custom House Guide - Ports of Entry and U.S. Import Regulations
Business Library, Reference: KF6680.99 .P67
U.S. Custom House Guide - U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule
Business Library, Reference: KF6654.599 .U82

• Directories for import/export information and services through U.S. ports
• Tariff schedules, customs regulations, and import documents (sample forms).

Bureau of Industry & Security / U.S. Department of Commerce
The Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS) seeks to advance U.S. national security, foreign policy, and economic objectives by ensuring an effective export control and treaty compliance system and promoting continued U.S. strategic technology leadership.

Export Administration Regulations
For the Commerce Control List, see 15 CFR Part 744.

International Trade Administration / U.S. Dept. of Commerce
International Trade Administration (ITA) coordinates all issues concerning trade promotion, international commercial policy, market access, and trade law enforcement. The Administration is responsible for nonagricultural trade operations of the U.S. Government and supports the trade policy negotiation efforts of the U.S. Trade Representative.

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
Among other duties, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit serves as the reviewing court for the U.S. Court of International Trade, the U.S. International Trade Commission, the U.S. Claims Court, and findings of the Secretary of Commerce under certain provisions of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S. Full text opinions from 1995 to date, are available from Georgetown University Law Center and Emory School of Law. All published opinions of the Court are available in full text through Lexis/Nexis Academic.

U.S. Court of International Trade (USTIC)
Established by th Customs Courts Act of 1980, the Court of International Trade has jurisdiction over any civil action against the United States arising from Federal laws governing import transactions.  The Court disseminates full text slip opinions from 1999 to date.  All published opinions of the Court are available in full text through Lexis/Nexis Academic.

U.S. Customs Service
U.S. Customs Service is responsible for collecting revenue from imports; enforcing the customs laws; and interdicting contraband, including narcotics, along the land and sea borders of the United States.  See U.S. Customs Service Legal tab for specific legal provisions.

U.S. International Trade Commission
The USITC is an independent, quasi-judicial federal agency that provides objective trade expertise to both the legislative and executive branches of government, determines the impact of imports on U.S. industries, and directs actions against certain unfair trade practices, such as patent, trademark, and copyright infringement. USITC analysts and economists investigate and publish reports on U.S. industries and the global trends that affect them. The agency also updates and publishes the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.

Foreign Trade Zones

About Foreign-Trade Zones & Contact Info / U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

• An overview of FTZ policy and procedures.

U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones Board / International Trade Administration

• Laws, regulations, notices & orders
• Frequently Asked Questions about foreign trade zones
• Lists of zones and contact information
• Links to firms operating in foreign trade zones

National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones (NAFTZ)

• News, reports, and other helpful documentation

Other Countries

Hieros Gamos

• A comprehensive Law and Government Portal
• For U.S. business guides, see "World Governments".
• For international law, international tax, and trade law, see "Practice Guides"

Lex Mercatoria

• Developments in international trade and commercial law.
• Links to international law resources and other materials.

World Legal Information Institute
The World Legal Information Institute (WorldLII) is a free, independent and non-profit global legal research facility developed collaboratively by the following Legal Information Institutes and other organisations:

• AustLII (Australasian Legal Information Institute)
• BAILII (British and Irish Legal Information Institute)
• CanLII (Canadian Legal Information Institute)
• GlobaLex (Online Legal Information for African Countries)
• HKLII (Hong Kong Legal Information Institute)
• Legal Information Institute (Cornell University Law School)
• PacLII (Pacific Islands Legal Information Institute)
• SAFLII (Southern African Legal Information Institute)

Martindale-Hubbell International Law Digest [print only]
Social Sciences, Legal Alcove: KF190.M272

• Offers country-by-country summary of national laws, especial business laws.

Other Websites

International Business Training

• A collection of educational resources relating to the import-export process.

Small Business Administration, Office of International Trade

• Export information and development assistance.