International Merchandise Trade: Confidential Commodities List

This release has ceased

This publication details all import and export commodities, which have been subjected to confidentiality restrictions since 1 January 1988

Reference period
March 2022

Upcoming changes to this publication

This (March 2022 reference month) is the final issue of this publication. From the April 2022 reference month the International merchandise trade: Confidential Commodities List (Tables 1-4) datacube will be available as an additional download in the monthly International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia publication (released 2nd June 2022). 

The Confidential Commodities List (CCL) is needed to interpret the impact of confidentiality on merchandise trade statistics in International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia and other international trade in goods statistics. This change improves interpretability of the monthly data at the time it is released.

Main features

The Confidential Commodities List (CCL) is needed to interpret the impact of confidentialisation on the merchandise trade statistics in International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia and other international trade in goods statistics. The CCL data cube registers all import and export commodities which have been subject to confidentiality restrictions since 1 January 1988.

There are additional confidentiality applications that impact ABS international trade statistics that are not listed in this publication. These are presented in the International Merchandise Trade, Australia: Concepts, Sources and Methods which also provides more detailed information on international merchandise trade confidentiality, and restriction types.

The CCL is available from the Data downloads section of this document. The data cube presents information under the following four headings:

  • changes and new restrictions to import items in the current month
  • changes and new restrictions to export items in the current month
  • all import restrictions from January 1988 to the current month
  • all export restrictions from January 1988 to the current month.

Data downloads

Tables 1-4 International merchandise trade: Confidential Commodities List

Explanatory notes

Introduction

The Confidential Commodities List (CCL) is needed to interpret the impact of confidentialisation on the merchandise trade statistics in International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia and other international trade in goods statistics.

Scope

International trade in goods statistics are subject to confidentiality. Where necessary, a “restriction” is placed, at the commodity level, to suppress the level of detail available. Depending on the nature of the restriction, this may be all detail relating to the product (no commodity details), or a suppression of only some variables (e.g. selected country details). Users of the International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia and other international trade in goods statistics, should use the CCL to determine whether a particular statistic has been subject to confidentiality restrictions (and therefore may not represent the true aggregate value).

The columns in each table of the CCL describe:

  • Statistical item (commodity) codes, which are either Harmonized Tariff Item Statistical Code (HTISC) for imports; or the Australian Harmonized Export Commodity Classification (AHECC) for exports
  • A date listed in ‘Deleted Date’ shows a superseded statistical item (i.e. the HTISC or AHECC is no longer in use)
  • The time frame of the restriction is reflected by the ‘Date of Effect’ and ‘Date of Cessation’ with a blank ‘Date of Cessation’ indicating the restriction applies to the current reference month (e.g. is active)
  • Product classifications are mapped using the Standard International Trade Classification (across both Revision 3 and Revision 4) and the likely industry of origin of the good (the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification, ANZSIC 1993 and 2006).
  • The specific restriction applied to preserve confidentiality
  • The free standing descriptor of the statistical item (i.e. the HTISC or AHECC).


More detailed information on international merchandise trade confidentiality, and restriction types, can be found in the Appendix or the International Merchandise Trade, Australia: Concepts, Sources and Methods.

Country mnemonic list

A glossary of country mnemonics for selected country detail restrictions, is available in Table 7 of the downloadable appendices of the International Merchandise Trade, Australia: Concepts, Sources and Methods.

Revisions

Confidentiality restrictions are subject to revisions after initial publication. Any revisions to restrictions will be reflected in the next available edition of this publication.

Further information

More detailed information on international trade in goods confidentiality can be found in the International Merchandise Trade, Australia: Concepts, Sources and Methods.

For inquiries about these and related statistics, contact the Customer Assistance Service via the ABS website Contact Us page.

The ABS Privacy Policy outlines how the ABS will handle any personal information that you provide to us.

Appendix - CCL appendix 1

Show all

Type of restrictionHow the restriction affects statistics
No Commodity DetailsUnder the most comprehensive restriction able to be applied, no data relating to a particular commodity are released. Instead, in statistics classified by commodity, the data are included in a dummy commodity code (titled combined confidential items of trade and commodities nes) together with data for all other commodities that are similarly restricted. A dummy code of this nature is often referred to a dump item.
Broad Commodity DetailsLike the No Commodity Details restriction, the Broad Commodity Details restriction also prevents the release of commodity detail, but allows data to be released at the broad commodity level, without that level being impacted by the restriction. Under this restriction, data for a group of confidential commodities in the same area of the classification are combined and presented in a dump item within the relevant area (chapter) of the classification. This restriction is only used in two cases: exports of metalliferous ores (Harmonised System chapter 26), from July 1990 onwards; and, imports of organic chemicals (Harmonised System chapter 29), from July 1991 onwards.
No Country DetailsUnder this restriction, no details of the country of origin (for imports) or the country of final destination (for exports) are made available for a particular commodity. Where information relating to a country is suppressed, information relating to ports in that country are also suppressed.
Selected Country DetailsThis restriction suppresses details of trade in a commodity with specific countries. Instead of combining the details with data for all other countries having a similar restriction (as the No Country Details restriction does) this restriction suppresses details for a group of countries, but presents full details for other countries.
No State DetailsUnder this restriction, export and import commodity statistics classified by Australian state are not made available. Information relating to Australian ports is also not available.
Selected State DetailsThis restriction suppresses commodity details that are confidential for one Australian state, by combining details for that state with details for one or more other states. Details for the remaining states are made available in the normal way.
No Quantity DetailsUnder this restriction the value of trade in the commodity is available, but quantity and gross weight are suppressed.
No Value DetailsFor commodities subject to this restriction, the quantity and gross weight of the commodity are available, but value is suppressed.
No Value for Country DetailsThis restriction suppresses value details by country for the particular commodity to which it applies. Quantity details by country are available, but value is allocated to the category No Country Details.
No Duty DetailsThis restriction is only relevant to import clearances and can only be used in conjunction with a country restriction. The No Duty Details restriction results in the suppression of all duty details (rate of duty, nature of tariff, treatment code, preference code and duty paid) on records where country has been suppressed.

Previous catalogue number

This release previously used the catalogue number 5372.0.55.001

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