Chapter 10 Data compilation in a customs union
10.1. Introduction. The present chapter describes briefly the main types of existing customs unions, concentrating on the implications for trade data collection and compilation. Practices in organizing data collection in a customs union are discussed and attention is given to the cooperation of the member States of customs unions in facilitating the timely compilation and dissemination of comparable data on intra-union and extra-union trade. Further possibilities of multi-country data exchanges are discussed. This chapter is linked, in particular, to chapter VII, which discusses compilation of data from different sources, as well as to chapter IX, section C, which contains information regarding reconciliation studies, cross-country comparability and bilateral data exchanges.