Australian Bureau of Statistics
Celebrating the International Year of Statistics 2013

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Export and import statistics are compiled using information provided by exporters, importers and their agents to Customs. Potentially, aggregate export and import statistics are available in a great deal of detail but not all possible cross-classifications are released. Restrictions are placed on the release of statistics where the data for an individual or an organisation are identifiable and that entity has requested that the data be suppressed. In practice, the way that a restriction is achieved is to conceal the sensitive data by combining it with other data.

There are many reasons why an individual or an organisation may request suppression of data, for example:

• the individual/organisation may not want the total value and/or unit value of its imports or exports to be known, as such knowledge may be damaging to its business activities;
• the individual/organisation may want to protect details of the quantity of certain goods it trades, or the countries from which it imports or to which it exports;
• an imported commodity may be the subject of an anti-dumping inquiry; or
• exports to or imports from certain countries may be politically sensitive and the individual/organisation may be concerned that disclosure of the country of origin/destination may provoke protests or boycotting from other countries or some sections of the local community.