How accurate is import export data? What to trust and what to check
Where the data comes from
Import and export data is built from customs declarations and carriers' bills of lading, released by countries that publish them. Commercial trade data portals collect, clean and combine these records. Nothing is invented, but every row is only as accurate as what the shipper or importer declared.
Usually reliable
- Shipment dates
- Ports of loading and discharge
- Quantities and weights
- Countries of origin and destination
Needs care
- Descriptions are free text. The same product can be described a dozen ways, and some are vague, like "spare parts".
- HS codes are sometimes wrong, by mistake or to reach a lower duty rate. Search by description as well as by code.
- Values can be under-declared to reduce duty, and some shipments are samples at nominal value.
- Company names may belong to a freight forwarder or agent. Some bills of lading are made out "to order", with no named buyer.
What may be missing
- Some countries hide company names for privacy reasons.
- In the United States, importers and shippers can ask customs to keep their names off published manifest data.
- Records are often released weeks or months after the shipment.
- Mirror data, meaning one country's imports seen through partners' exports, rarely matches exactly. Timing, re-exports through hubs such as the UAE and Singapore, and FOB versus CIF valuation all cause gaps.
Simple checks that prevent mistakes
- Look at several months, not one.
- Use median unit prices rather than averages, so a few odd rows don't skew the picture.
- Remove obvious samples and zero-value rows.
- Check a few rows by reading the description against the quantity and unit.
- Confirm important findings directly with the company before you act on them.
Why I send a sample first
Coverage and quality vary by country and product. A free sample lets you see exactly what your search returns before you pay. If the data won't answer your question, I'll tell you. Request a sample.