International Trade with Goods STATISTICS

News

On 1 July 2013, Croatia become the 28th MemberState of the European Union. Consequently, from this date onwards, international trade with goods involving this country must be included in Intrastat statistical declarations.

To this end, we recommend to all economic operators trading with Croatia to establish a clear dividing line in the foreign trade field. Up until 30 June inclusive, you will still have to declare all movements of goods via a customs document. From 1 July on, you will be required to notify any movements of goods to or from Croatia in the arrivals and/or dispatches Intrastat declaration. Please apply the demarcation correctly so as to avoid making any double entries.

Owing to these extra declarations, it is possible that some economic operators who were previously exempt from filling up in Intrastat declaration, being below the threshold, are from now on obliged to declare arrivals or dispatches, or even goods flows in both directions.

International Trade with goods STATISTICS

Each MemberState of the European Union compiles its own external trade figures, in other words statistics on its cross-border movements of goods. A distinction is made between movements of goods between EU Member States (Intrastat), on the one hand, and trade flows with countries that do not belong to the European Union, on the other, (Extrastat). The former are called "intra-Community purchases and deliveries" and are labelled "arrivals" and "dispatches" for statistical purposes. The names "imports" and "exports" remain used for movements with third party countries, as well as for describing external trade in general.

The entry into force, on 1 January 1993, of the Single European Market opened up internal borders and abolished customs formalities. However, statistical obligations remain in place.

The statistics on international trade in goods are produced in Romania by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

Intrastat

Starting with 1st January 2007, with the accession of Romania to the European Union, all the economic operators registered for VAT, that exceed a threshold value calculated on an annual basis, have to complete a Intrastat statistical declaration themselves, regarding their intra-Community trade in goods. The Intrastat statistical declaration includes all data regarding goods arriving from other MemberStates and goods being sent to other Member States. It has to be sent electronically directly to the National Institute of Statistics (for details please visit the section “Intrastat Methodology” of this website).

Extrastat

When importing and/or exporting - when trading goods across the EU's external borders - customs forms must be completed and most notably the Extrastat declaration. The Romanian customs authority sendsa situation of all imports and exports to the National Institute of Statistics on a monthly basis.