This book is the only in its kind to review the commodity coding, definitions and methodology applying to the collection of forest products production and trade statistics. The analysis – both qualitative as quantitative - contains valuable information for anybody who want to gain more insight in the methodology behind the figures. Recommendations are made for improving the data collection framework. Special attention has been given to the comparability of commodity coding systems, comparability of terms and definitions at the national and international levels, conversion factors to convert volume and weight, double counting and the coverage of production and trade of tropical timber and its products. This relates to the efforts of the ECE, FAO, EUROSTAT and ITTO who jointly collect such statistics from their member states, with the aim to streamlining the collection process and to reducing the burden for their statistical correspondents. Data on commercial trade of all commodities, among which forest products, is also collected by UN – COMTRADE and Eurostat – COMEXT. The possible use of their data for reporting to the joint questionnaire is used.

This book is the only in its kind to review the commodity coding, definitions and methodology applying to the collection of forest products production and trade statistics. The analysis - both qualitative as quantitative - contains valuable information for anybody who want to gain more insight in the methodology behind the figures. Recommendations are made for improving the data collection framework. Special attention has been given to the comparability of commodity coding systems, comparability of terms and definitions at the national and international levels, conversion factors to convert volume and weight, double counting and the coverage of production and trade of tropical timber and its products. This relates to the efforts of the ECE, FAO, EUROSTAT and ITTO who jointly collect such statistics from their member states, with the aim to streamlining the collection process and to reducing the burden for their statistical correspondents. Data on commercial trade of all commodities, among which forest products, is also collected by UN - COMTRADE and Eurostat - COMEXT. The possible use of their data for reporting to the joint questionnaire is used.

This paper assesses external trade statistics in Lao PDR by looking at mirror statistics, and with reference to international experience in compilation and dissemination of external trade data. We find that exports could be underreported by 8 to 50 percent, while imports could be underreported by 30 to 70 percent, and the trade deficit could be 20 percent to 280 percent higher. Underreporting is concentrated in trade with major partners, including Thailand (17 percent of total trade), China (10 percent of total trade) and Vietnam (3 percent of total trade). On the export side, underreporting is concentrated in wood and wood products, while for imports it is concentrated in a much wider variety of products, including food, fuel, vehicles, machinery, chemical products, plastics and rubber, and construction materials. Possible sources and implications of these discrepancies are discussed.