Ensuring optimum use of the SQL Server version of Eurotrace for processing foreign trade data. This was the theme of two workshops organised in the framework of the PAS II Service Contract. 32 IMTS experts from 16 countries participated in two sessions of the four-day workshop in Tunis
Thirty-two IMTS experts from eight English-speaking countries (Botswana, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Sudan, Zambia, Zimbabwe), followed by eight French-speaking countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Togo) participated in these workshops which was facilitated by Mr Pierre BALBONI (Luxembourg), a PAS II expert. The workshops were organised within the framework of the PAS II Service Contract, funded by the European Union, managed by Eurostat and STATAFRIC, and implemented by Expertise France. Both sessions were held at Expertise France's premises in Tunis, Tunisia.
Responding to Member States' needs
These two workshops were set up as a response to needs stated by many member states in order to make trade statisticians more comfortable using Eurotrace SQL Server. During the workshop, participants were able to present their difficulties (switching from the Access version to the SQL Server version, considering non-custom data, and updating domains to consider new parameters) in order to find solutions.
Trade Statistics for African Integration
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) of Agenda 2063 aims at boosting intra-African trade. It is therefore important to have reliable, harmonised and comprehensive statistics. The availability of data on external trade is crucial for the implementation of good integration policies and enables the tracking and analysis of the movement of goods, services and people. To carry out this complex work, it is necessary to have a dedicated and efficient computer tool. The Eurotrace tool provided by Eurostat is used in at least 27 Member States of the African Union to compile statistics on international trade in goods. Widely used, this tool makes it possible to produce foreign trade statistics and to make them available to users. These data are also used in the compilation of the STATAFRIC Trade Statistics Yearbook.
Fostering partnerships and online collaboration
During the two training sessions, the PAS II Service Contract team and STATAFRIC introduced MS-Teams as an online collaboration tool to strengthen digital collaboration among international trade statisticians on the African continent. Launched in February 2023, the network already includes 77 international trade statisticians who have benefited from the Service Contract activities. The different functionalities of the tool have been presented and private channels have been set up to share documents from workshops and training (country and expert presentations, photos, manuals, etc.). This is an opportunity for international trade statisticians to share information, progress and also discuss solutions with their counterparts.
In addition, a dedicated functional mailbox managed by Eurostat is set up to receive and handle demands sent by all Eurotrace users and stakeholders. This centralised focus point must be used to contact and receive assistance from support: ESTAT-EUROTRACE-SUPPORT@ec.europa.eu
Towards a new trade data compilation tool
Eurostat is currently working in cooperation with the United Nations on the development of the Trade Data Tool (TDT). A pilot version of TDT will be available by the end of this year 2023. It will cover the functionalities of Eurotrace and can be deployed on the cloud as well as on a PC. STATAFRIC and Eurostat should coordinate their efforts to ensure that the transition of African Union Member States to TDT is smooth.
