6.2. Definition. IMTS 2010 (para. 2.1) defines the statistical territory of a country as “the territory with respect to which trade data are being compiled”, noting that the definition of the statistical territory adopted by any given country may or may not coincide with its economic territory, depending on the availability of data sources and other considerations. IMTS 2010 recommends that countries provide a detailed description of their statistical territory and make that description publicly available as a part of their metadata to ensure an unambiguous identification of the flows of goods recorded in their trade statistics.
6.3. Elements and parts of the statistical territory. It is good practice to define the statistical territory by listing the various elements and territorial parts of its economic territory that belong to it. IMTS 2010 (para. 2.3) recommends that the descriptions of these territorial elements, when applicable, be based on the definitions of the customs terms as contained in the annexes to the revised Kyoto Convention (RKC).[1] It is also good practice to use the definitions provided in other relevant international conventions, such as the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.[2]
6.4. In countries where data collection is based on customs records, the main element of the statistical territory is usually the free circulation area. IMTS 2010 (para. 2.3) identifies the following additional territorial elements and recommends that countries make clear whether or not they exist in the country, and whether or not they are included in its statistical territory: islands; territorial waters; continental shelf; offshore and outer space installations and apparatus; commercial and industrial free zones; customs warehouses; premises for inward processing; territorial enclaves and exclaves, and overseas territories. Some elements of the statistical territory should not be viewed as defined exclusively in terms of specific geographical location, as they also can be defined on the enterprise level in terms of the specific operations that may be carried out (e.g., inward processing, customs warehousing, etc.).
[1] See chap. II for an introduction to the RKC.
[2] United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1833, No. 31363.