FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE
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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE |
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The difference is simiple, Competitive Agricultural imports are grown domestically, Noncompetitive are not. About 26 percent of U.S. imports are classified as noncompetitive, mainly tropical products that are not grown domestically, such as coffee and bananas.
Obsolete Countries are countries that have either merged (e.g. East and West Germany) or split-up (e.g. Yugoslavia). Obsolete countries are separated into component countries when the Foreign Trade Division issues new schedule C codes. In order to provide a historical timeline the obsolete countries data becomes a summation of the data of it's component countries after the date that the country became obsolete. Users should be aware that double counting can occur on reports if both the obsolete country and one or more of it's component countries are selected.
C.I.F. Import Value
The c.i.f. (cost, insurance, and freight) value represents the landed value of the merchandise at the first port of arrival in the United States. It is computed by adding "Import Charges" to the "Customs Value" (see definitions below) and therefore excludes U.S. import duties.
Customs Import Value
The Customs value is the value of imports as appraised by the U.S. Customs Service in accordance with the legal requirements of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended. This value is generally defined as the price actually paid or payable for merchandise when sold for exportation to the United States, excluding U.S. import duties, freight, insurance, and other charges incurred in bringing the merchandise to the United States. The term "price actually paid or payable" means the total payment (whether direct or indirect, and exclusive of any costs, charges, or expenses incurred for transportation, insurance, and related services incident to the international shipment of the merchandise from the country of exportation to the place of importation in the United States) made, or to be made, for imported merchandise by the buyer to, or for the benefit, of the seller. In the case of transactions between related parties, the relationship between buyer and seller should not influence the Customs value.
In those instances where assistance was furnished to a foreign manufacturer for use in producing an article which is imported into the United States, the value of the assistance is required to be included in the value reported for the merchandise. Such "assists" include both tangible and intangible assistance, such as machinery, tools, dies and molds, blue prints, copyrights, research and development, and engineering and consulting services. If the value of these "assists" is identified and separately reported, it is subtracted from the value during statistical processing. However, where it is not possible to isolate the value of "assists", they are included. In these cases the unit values may be increased due to the inclusion of such "assists".
Import Charges
The import charges represent the aggregate cost of all freight, insurance, and other charges (excluding U.S. import duties) incurred in bringing the merchandise from alongside the carrier at the port of exportation in the country of exportation and placing it alongside the carrier at the first port of entry in the United States. In the case of overland shipments originating in Canada or Mexico, such costs include freight, insurance, and all other charges, costs and expenses incurred in bringing the merchandise from the point of origin (where the merchandise begins its journey to the United States) in Canada or Mexico to the first port of entry.
PLEASE NOTE
The CIF Value is not revised during the 13th month database loads. This means that the CIF Value of a record that is updated during the 13th month load processs is not changed and that the CIF Value of a record that is added will be zero(0). For Example:
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USDA's definition of "agricultural products" is based on the following:
Agricultural products, sometimes also referred to as "food and fiber" products, cover a broad range of goods from unprocessed bulk commodities like soybeans, feed corn, wheat, rice, unprocessed tobacco, and raw cotton to highly-processed, high-value foods and beverages like sausages, bakery goods, ice cream, beer and wine, and condiments sold in retail stores and restaurants.
All of the products found in Chapters 1-24 (except for fishery products in Chapters 3 and 16) of the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule are considered agricultural products. These products generally fall into the following categories: grains, animal feeds, and grain products (like bread and pasta); oilseeds and oilseed products (like soybean oil); livestock, poultry and dairy products including live animals, meats, raw hides and skins, eggs, and feathers; horticultural products including all fresh and processed fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, as well as nursery products and beer and wine; unmanufactured tobacco; and tropical products like sugar, cocoa and coffee.
Certain other products outside of Chapters 1-24 are also considered agricultural products. The most significant are essential oils (Chapter 33), raw rubber (Chapter 40), raw animal hides and skins (Chapter 41), and wool and cotton (Chapters 51-52).
The major products derived from plants or animals which are not considered "agricultural" because of their manufactured nature are cotton thread and yarn; fabric, textiles and clothing; leather and leather articles of apparel; cigarettes and cigars; and spirits.
Exports are defined by Census as: Domestic Exports
Exports of domestic merchandise include commodities which are grown, produced or manufactured in the United States, and commodities of foreign origin which have been changed in the United States, including U.S. Foreign Trade Zones, from the form in which they were imported, or which have been enhanced in value by further manufacture in the United States.
Re-Exports are defined by Census as: Foreign Exports
Exports of foreign merchandise (re-exports) consist of commodities of foreign origin which have entered the United States for consumption or into Customs bonded warehouses or U.S. Foreign Trade Zones, and which at the time of exportation are in substantially the same condition as when imported.
Therefore the FAS U.S. Trade Internet system Export reports do NOT include Re-Export statistics.
All of the imports and export codes used by the United States are based on the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS). The HTS assigns 6-digit codes for general categories. Countries which use the HTS are allowed to define commodities at a more detailed level than 6-digits, but all definitions must be within that 6-digit framework.
The U.S. defines products using 10-digit HTS codes. Exports codes (which the U.S. calls Schedule B) are administered by the U.S. Census Bureau. Import codes are administered by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC).
Web sites for U.S. import and export HTS codes:Users may now request a simple BICO Country report in ,just THREE CLICKS.
Under the BICO data collection tab on either Exports, Imports or Re-Exports:
Users may now request a simple BICO Product report in just THREE CLICKS.
Under the BICO data collection tab on either Exports, Imports or Re-Exports:
Under the FAS data collection tab on either Exports, Imports or Re-Exports:
Dates will default to the most current month loaded. Users may request date customization by changing the date Ending Year Range selection box. Printing is easy, just click on your browser print button!!
NOTE: Due to the large amount of information these types of reports can generate, the country selection is limited to one. The system will let you know if more are selected.
For Exports - F.A.S. Export Value (Excluding Exports to Canada)
The f.a.s. (free alongside ship) value is the value of exports at the U.S. seaport, airport, or border port of export, based on the transaction price, including inland freight, insurance, and other charges incurred in placing the merchandise alongside the carrier at the U.S. port of exportation. The value, as defined, excludes the cost of loading the merchandise aboard the exporting carrier and also excludes freight, insurance, and any charges or transportation costs beyond the port of exportation.
For Imports - Customs Import Value
The Customs value is the value of imports as appraised by the U.S. Customs Service in accordance with the legal requirements of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended. This value is generally defined as the price actually paid or payable for merchandise when sold for exportation to the United States, excluding U.S. import duties, freight, insurance, and other charges incurred in bringing the merchandise to the United States. The term "price actually paid or payable" means the total payment (whether direct or indirect, and exclusive of any costs, charges, or expenses incurred for transportation, insurance, and related services incident to the international shipment of the merchandise from the country of exportation to the place of importation in the United States) made, or to be made, for imported merchandise by the buyer to, or for the benefit, of the seller. In the case of transactions between related parties, the relationship between buyer and seller should not influence the Customs value.
MY USTRADE is your personal account on the USTWEB. This feature allows you to save, modify and re-submit report requests that you use frequently.
EXPORTS: Information on U.S. exports of merchandise from the U.S. to all countries, except Canada, is compiled from copies of Shipper's Export Declarations (SEDs) and SED data from qualified exporters, forwarders, or carriers. The United States is substituting Canadian import statistics for U.S. exports to Canada in accordance with a 1987 Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Census Bureau, U.S. Customs Service, Canadian Customs, and Statistics Canada.
IMPORTS: Published information on U.S. imports of merchandise is compiled primarily from automated data submitted through the U.S. Customs' Automated Commercial System. Data are compiled also from import entry summary forms, warehouse withdrawal forms and Foreign Trade Zone documents as required by law to be filed with the U.S. Customs Service. Data on imports of electricity and natural gas from Canada are obtained from Canadian sources.
Imports for Consumption - (The Default): "Imports for Consumption" measure the total of merchandise that has physically cleared through Customs either entering consumption channels immediately or entering after withdrawal for consumption from bonded warehouses under Customs custody or from Foreign Trade Zones. Many countries use the term "special imports" to designate statistics compiled on this basis.
General Imports: "General Imports" measure the total physical arrivals of merchandise from foreign countries, whether such merchandise enters consumption channels immediately or is entered into bonded warehouses or Foreign Trade Zones under Customs custody.
RXPORTS: Exports of foreign merchandise (re-exports), consist of commodities of foreign origin which have entered the United States for consumption or into Customs bonded warehouses or U.S. Foreign Trade Zones, and which, at the time of exportation, are in substantially the same condition as when imported.
HELP: This option will give further explanation on elements and functionality of the web site.
Commodities BarBICO - (Bulk, Intermediate and Consumer Oriented): FAS has categorized and grouped Harmonized Tariff Schedules of the United States Annotated (Imports) and Schedule B Export 10-digit codes into 46 separate product groups under Bulk Intermediate and Consumer Oriented.
The "BICO" Report Format provides U.S. agricultural export and import data on Bulk commodities, high-value Intermediate, and Consumer-Oriented foods and beverages. In addition to these three product categories, it also includes U.S. export and import data on forest products and edible fish and seafood products. Within these five product categories, trade data is provided for 46 separate product groups. For example, "wheat" is listed under bulk commodities, "soybean oil" is listed under intermediate products, "fresh fruit" is listed under consumer foods, "lumber" is listed under forest products, and "canned salmon" is listed under fish and seafood products.
Agricultural products moving into the world market can be classified as Bulk, Intermediate, or Consumer-Oriented products. Central to this scheme is the degree to which a product receives further processing and is thus transformed to a value-added or high value product.
FAS - (Foreign Agricultural Service): FAS has categorized and grouped Harmonized Tariff Schedules of the United States Annotated (Imports) and Schedule B (Exports) 10-digit codes into 250 separate product groups. Product groups vary between Exports and Imports. Product groups were designed to reflect statistics to be analyzed based on Export/Import markets, therefore separate groups are maintained for Exports and Imports.
FATUS - (Foreign Agricultural Trade of the United States): The Economic Research Service (ERS) is one of four agencies in the Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Mission Area of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). ERS commodity code groupings and country code groupings used by the ERS are available on this web site.
HS-2: Harmonized System or HS codes at the 2-digit level. The commodity codes are derived from the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) to the 6-digit level for generalized categories. The U.S. defines products using 10-digit HTS codes. Exports codes (which the U.S. calls Schedule B) are administered by the U.S. Census Bureau. Import codes are administered by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC).
HS-4: Commodities classified as Harmonized System or HS codes at the 4-digit level. The commodity codes are derived from the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) to the 6-digit level for generalized categories. The U.S. defines products using 10-digit HTS codes. Exports codes (which the U.S. calls Schedule B) are administered by the U.S. Census Bureau. Import codes are administered by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC).
HS-6: Commodities classified as Harmonized System or HS codes at the 6-digit level. The commodity codes are derived from the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) to the 6-digit level for generalized categories. The U.S. defines products using 10-digit HTS codes. Exports codes (which the U.S. calls Schedule B) are administered by the U.S. Census Bureau. Import codes are administered by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC).
HS-10: Commodities classified as Harmonized System or HS codes at the 10-digit level. The commodity codes are derived from the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) to the 6-digit level for generalized categories. The U.S. defines products using 10-digit HTS codes. Exports codes (which the U.S. calls Schedule B) are administered by the U.S. Census Bureau. Import codes are administered by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC).
Help BarABOUT: This feature takes you directly to the Bureau of the Census web site at: U.S. Census Bureau Guide to Foreign Trade Statistics
RELEASE: Monthly Release Schedule of the Bureau of the Census FT900 International Trade in Goods and Services 2000. This schedule is a handy reference. Dates reflect the expected date of release of monthly statistics.
COUNTRY: Country selections derived from Schedule C, U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division Classification Schedules which contains the country and territory designations for use in compiling U.S. export and import statistics.
CN GROUPS: Country groups constructed from country codes and descriptions derived from Schedule C, U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division Classification Schedules which contains the country and territory designations for use in compiling U.S. export and import statistics. Depending on the first level tabs, BICO, FAS or FATUS these groups vary. Regional groupings were built and maintained to match the direct needs for traditional FAS/ERS analysis using standard BICO, FAS or ERS report formats.
COMMODITY: These tables contain all codes which makeup the standard commodity groupings which appear on BICO, FAS or FATUS report formats. The commodity codes are derived from the Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) to the 6-digit level for generalized categories. The U.S. defines products using 10-digit HTS codes. Exports codes (which the U.S. calls Schedule B) are administered by the U.S. Census Bureau. Import codes are administered by the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC).
TIPS: General hints, tips and guidelines for using this web site.
Agricultural products moving into world markets can be classified as bulk, intermediate, or consumer-oriented products. Central to this scheme is the degree to which a product receives further processing and is thus transformed to a value-added or high-value product. Another important issue is the extent to which a product has arrived at the point of final consumption at either the food retail or food service sector.
"Bulk" agricultural products include those commodities which have received little or no processing, such as wheat, corn, soybeans, and cotton. Tropical products, such as green coffee, cocoa, raw sugar, and natural rubber are also included in this category.
Value-added "Intermediate" agricultural products (such as wheat flour, vegetable oils, and hides and skins) receive some processing, but are generally not yet ready for final consumption. Wheat flour is further processed into noodles and bakery products, while vegetable oils are an ingredient in many processed foods. Slaughter animals, are value-added intermediate products because they are range fed then finished with mixed feeds, corn and oilseed meal before they are processed further into meat cuts.
High-value (value-added) "Consumer-Oriented" agricultural products require little or no additional processing and are generally ready for final consumption at either the food retail or food service level. In some cases however, products classified as consumer foods may be used by food processors as ingredients in other foods. These products, some of which are not ready for final consumption, can include spices, dairy and egg products, tree nuts, and dried fruits. Food ingredients are "intermediate" products, but since the product coding system does not distinguish between different end uses for the same product, it was decided to treat these items as final stage consumer foods within the BICO classification scheme. Likewise some products found in the BICO Report's intermediate category may be ready for final consumption at the food retail or food service level. Another issue is that while most consumer-oriented products have undergone various degrees of processing, the category also includes unprocessed items that have relatively high per unit values as a result of high transportation or storage costs. Good examples include fresh fruit and nursery products.
Data are from the Foreign Agricultural Trade of the United States (FATUS). FATUS is a system of 211 trade codes created by ERS for the purpose of summarizing U.S. agricultural trade in a form usable by the public. The FATUS codes aggregate the several thousand (>4,000 import and >2,000 export) 10-digit agricultural trade codes in the Schedule B & Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S. (HTS) under which all U.S. trade data are originally collected by the Census Bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce. This schedule classifies all goods according to the International Harmonized Commodity Coding and Classification System (Harmonized System or HS) which has been established by the World Customs Organization. Contact: Carol Whitton, Economic Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
When a report request has been submitted and the return output is labeled: No Data Found, use cautious interpretation. Keep in mind that the Bureau of the Census statistics are reported on HS-10 digit commodity code levels. Each year Census or ITC may issue new replacement commodity codes at the HS-10 digit level for Exports (Schedule B) or Imports (Harmonized Tariff Schedules of the United States Annotated). For instance, a code may be valid in 1989 but changed in 1994 to a new code. If the user requests data with the date range 1995-1999 and uses a commodity code which is valid 1989 -1994 then the return report output will reflect No Data Found. Therefore users are urged to familiarize themselves with the official HTSUSA (Imports) and Schedule B (Exports) issued for years requested to ensure that the correct codes are valid for the years requested.
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