	Technical Documentation
	
	NOTE TO USERS: This section contains critical information on sources and reliability of data, as well as 
definitions of terms and methodological procedures that users should consider before attempting to interpret 
or analyze the statistical data presented in this report.  Failure to do so may affect the results.
	
	Overview
	
	This report is a continuing series of reports profiling U.S. exporters.  The first report, A Profile of United 
States Exporters: Initial Findings from the Exporter Data Base, was released by the International Trade 
Administration in September 1993.  That report was based on Census Bureau data compiled both from the 
1987 Economic Census and from documents filed for export clearances during 1987 and used a methodology 
not employed in succeeding reports.  Subsequent reports, covering 1992 through present, are based on 
economic census and survey data on file at the Census Bureau, administrative records from other government 
agencies, and documents filed for export clearances.  The 2009 report introduces import data to the profile.  
The new annual release is called A Profile of U.S. Importing and Exporting Companies.  
	
	These profiles are compiled by the Foreign Trade Division of the U. S. Census Bureau.  The International 
Trade Administration (ITA) and the International Trade Commission are partial sponsors of the work, 
providing both financial assistance and advice on data user needs.  The ITA also sponsors more detailed 
Exhibits, which will be available on their Web site later this year.  Users will be notified on the ITA Web site 
(www.ita.doc.gov) when this information is available.
	
	Effective with the 1997/1998 report, companies are classified according to the North American Industry 
Classification System (NAICS) instead of the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) system. There are 
differences in the ways NAICS and SIC classify certain types of companies.  For example, manufacturers of 
prepackaged software and books are classified as manufacturers under SIC and as Other types of companies 
under NAICS.  Users are advised to consider these differences when making year-over-year comparisons of 
exporters and exporter characteristics before and after 1997.  This profile, based on new and revised data, uses 
the same methodology as previous years.
	
	The importer and exporter profiles are developed to provide both government and private sector users with 
information about the importing and exporting community including employment size, type of company, and 
major foreign markets.  In this report the data are presented in Exhibits 1 through 6, where the export and 
import data use letters a through h to designate whether the data represents statistical year, prior year, or year-
over-year comparisons.  Letters g and h represent data on companies that both import and export for current 
and prior year.  The previous years export figures in this report are revised from data released in the previous 
exporter profile.  The revisions are based on the ability to match additional export records.  
	
	The exhibits in this report include detailed breakdowns based upon the number of employees of the identified 
importing and exporting companies.  In presenting these results, companies are classified as small (less than 
100 employees including number of employees unknown), medium (100 to 499 employees), and large (500 
or more employees).  
	
	Exhibit 3 provides information on exports to related parties, such as parent or subsidiary firms.  Two parties 
are considered related if either party owns, directly or indirectly, 10 percent or more of the other party.  We 
do not currently capture related party information for imports entered into U.S. Foreign Trade Zones.  As a 
result, the import related party exhibits (3c and 3d) are not available at this time.   
	
	All percentages stated in this report, unless otherwise specified, were calculated based solely upon the 
statistical and prior years import or export values that could be linked to specific active companies in the 
Business Register--the known value.  In addition, the source of the administrative records, the Business 
Register, was restructured starting with 2002 data.  For explanations of the methods used in tabulating the 
information as well as non-sampling errors and other limitations of the export data in this report, see the 
Methodology section below. Users are advised to consider these limitations when analyzing this information 
as they may affect the results. Users should cite the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Department of Commerce as 
the source of the information in this report, not as the source of their analyses.
	
	Sources of Information
	
	The importer and exporter profiles were created from import and export merchandise trade information and 
company characteristics contained in the Census Bureaus data base of company information, the Business 
Register.  Company characteristics are gathered through economic censuses and surveys and supplemented 
with employment and payroll information provided by the Internal Revenue Service.   Data on U.S. exports 
of merchandise from the U.S. to all countries, except Canada, is compiled from the Electronic Export 
Information (EEI) filed by the United States Principal Party in Interest (USPPI) or their agents through the 
Automated Export System (AES). The EEI is unique among Census Bureau data collection methods since it 
is not sent to respondents soliciting responses as in the case of surveys. Each EEI represents a shipment of one 
or more kinds of merchandise from one exporter to one foreign importer on a single carrier. Filing the EEI is 
mandatory under Chapter 9, Title 13, United States Code. Qualified exporters or their agents submit EEI data 
by automated means directly to the U.S. Census Bureau.  The United States is substituting Canadian import 
statistics for U.S. exports to Canada in accordance with a 1987 Memorandum of Understanding signed by the 
Census Bureau, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Canadian Customs, and Statistics Canada.  The import 
trade statistics are compiled from multiple sources.  The majority of import data comes from transactions 
filed electronically by importers or their licensed brokers via the Automated Broker Interface (ABI) or the 
Automated Commercial Environment (ACE).  Other sources include electronic or paper documents for 
foreign trade zone admission and paper  import entry summaries.  In addition, data on imports of electricity 
and natural gas from Canada are obtained from Canadian sources.   
	
	Methodology
	
	This profile was compiled using company identifiers or company names from import and export transactions 
to electronically link trade data to company characteristics in the Business Register.   Beginning with data 
year 2002, the Business Register database was completely restructured to include additional information.  Due 
to these changes and problems with our prior methodology, the matching routines used to create the Profile 
were updated.  Despite the limitations within the Business Register, we are able to maintain consistency with 
our prior Profiles matching routines.
	
	Less than 3 percent of the total export value and slightly more than 3 percent of the import value, including 
low-value estimates, imports or exports by U.S. and foreign governments, timing adjustments, and end-of-
year revisions, was excluded from this matching process because the transactions cannot be attributed to 
specific importing or exporting companies.  Export transactions that could not be matched electronically were 
investigated and linked manually to specific companies using a combination of criteria, including company 
name, location, type, and product.  Import transactions that could not be matched electronically were left 
unmatched.  Unlike exports, all of the identifiers are numeric for imports, so the name matching 
investigations used to increase the export match rates cannot be applied.  A comparison of the overall match 
rates, based on total import and export value, is presented in Table 1 under Distribution of Exports and 
Imports by Identified and Unidentified Companies, at the beginning of this report.  
	
	It was not possible to investigate every unmatched export transaction, so priority was given to those with the 
highest export values.  The percentage of unidentified value tends to decrease each year as more companies 
are identified and value thresholds triggering investigation are lowered.  Therefore, users should make year-
to-year comparisons with caution and be aware that the number of small companies and their associated 
known value are most likely understated.  Similarly, the known value may not reflect all shipments by 
identified companies.
	
	Data Quality
	
	Quality assurance procedures were applied to all phases of collection, processing and tabulation of the 
information in this report to minimize errors.  The data continue to be subject to non-sampling errors in data 
reporting (of the basic trade statistics and the administrative record source data), coding, keying, and in 
coverage (due to failure to identify all importing and exporting companies).  For an explanation of non-
sampling errors affecting the trade statistics, see the Information on Goods and Services section of the FT 
900 U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services, or call (301)763-2227 to request a copy of the release.  
One can also obtain this information from the web at the following address:
	http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/current_press_release/press.html#prior
	
	
	The characteristics of importing and exporting companies in this report reflect companies that could be 
matched to the Business Register.  When analyzing these data, users should consider the possible impact of 
unmatched transactions and unidentified companies on their results.  Unidentified importers or exporters may 
not reflect the same distribution of company types and sizes as identified companies.  Similarly, comparisons 
between the number of companies importing or exporting in given categories may be misleading due to 
differences in the percentage of value matched to companies of various types and sizes.
	
	Year-over-year comparisons should also be made with caution.  Changes in the number of importers or 
exporters and the value of their transactions, the known value, may be due to differences in match rates or 
companies entering/dropping out of the import/export market. Table 1, under Distribution of Exports and 
Imports by Identified and Unidentified Companies, at the beginning of this report shows a comparison of the 
match rates, based on total value, as well as the value attributable to companies that either imported or 
exported in both years.
	
	Data by State
	
	The data contained in Exhibits 6a and 6b are based on the Origin of Movement (OM) State.  The U.S. state of 
origin is the 2-character postal code for the state in which the goods begin their journey to the port of export.  
This field allowed the compilation of the Origin of Movement - Based on Origin State Series. The OM series 
based on origin state has been available since 1987 and is intended to reflect the transportation origin of 
exports.  
	
	The data contained in Exhibits 6c and 6d are based on the U.S. State of Destination. This is defined as the 
U.S. state, U.S. territory or U.S. possession where the merchandise is destined, as known at the time of entry 
summary filing.  For shipments into Foreign Trade Zones, the import state represents the location of the zone.
	
	For more complete information on the state data series, refer to the notice at:  http://www.census.gov/foreign-
trade/aip/elom.html
	
	
	Definitions of Terms
	
	Business Register.  Data base of companies included in economic census and surveys conducted by the Census 
Bureau.
	
	Company.  A company is a business consisting of one domestic location (single location company) or more 
than one domestic location (multiple location company) under its ownership or control.
	
	Identified Companies: Identified companies are those companies to which one or more transactions 
were matched.  The import or export value associated with these companies is termed known value. 
	
	Unclassified Companies: These are identified companies for which no NAICS classification 
(manufacturers, wholesalers or other companies) could be assigned.
	
	Company Size.  Company sizes are based on employment:  small (less than 100 employees including number 
of employees unknown), medium (100 - 499 employees), and large (500 or more employees).
	
	Company Type.  Company types are based on the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 
and are broken out into manufacturers, wholesalers, and all other companies.  Those companies for which a 
valid NAICS code is not available are placed in the unclassified grouping.
	
	Employment.  Employment includes all employees, full-time or part-time, reported on a firms payroll 
during specific payroll periods.
	
	General Imports.  "General Imports" measure the total physical arrivals of merchandise from foreign 
countries, whether such merchandise enters consumption channels immediately or is entered into bonded 
warehouses or Foreign Trade Zones under Customs custody.
	
	Low-value Estimates.  Export transactions valued under $2,501 and import transactions valued under $251 
for certain quota items and $2001 for all other imported goods, are not required to be reported.  Instead, the 
Census Bureau estimates the value of such shipments to each country using factors based on the ratios of low-
valued shipments to individual country totals for past periods.  For more information please see the following 
link: http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/aip/lvpaper.html
	
	Related Party.  A related party transaction is one between a U.S. exporter and a foreign consignee, where 
either party owns (directly or indirectly) 10 percent or more of the other party. 
	
	State of the Origin of Movement (OM).  The OM series data provides export statistics based on the U.S. state 
from which the merchandise starts its journey to the port of export; i.e., the transportation origin.  This 
information is reported by the exporter.  See the Data Quality section above for limitations of this data series.
	
	State of Destination.  The State of Destination data series provides import statistics based on the U.S. state, 
U.S. territory or U.S. possession where the merchandise is destined, as known at the time of entry summary 
filing.  This information is reported by the importer.  See the Data Quality section above for limitations of 
this data series.
	
	Value (Exports).  The export values in this report are f.a.s. (free alongside ship) and include both domestic 
exports and re-exports of foreign merchandise.  Several different values are given:
	
	Total export value:  The total value includes all transactions whether or not linked to specific 
companies.
	
	Known value: The value of transactions linked to specific companies.  All percentages given for 
company size and types are based on known value.
	
	Unidentified Value: The valued transactions that were not linked to a specific company. Note that 
these shipments might have been exported either by identified companies or by other companies not 
identified in the linking process.
	
	Value (Imports).  The import values in this report are customs import value.  The Customs value is the value 
of imports as appraised by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in accordance with the legal requirements 
of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended. This value is generally defined as the price actually paid or payable for 
merchandise when sold for exportation to the United States, excluding U.S. import duties, freight, insurance, 
and other charges incurred in bringing the merchandise to the United States. The term "price actually paid or 
payable" means the total payment (whether direct or indirect, and exclusive of any costs, charges, or expenses 
incurred for transportation, insurance, and related services incident to the international shipment of the 
merchandise from the country of exportation to the place of importation in the United States) made, or to be 
made, for imported merchandise by the buyer to, or for the benefit, of the seller.  The type of imports shown 
in this report is general.  Please see the definition for General Imports for more information.  Several 
different values are given:
	
	Total import value:  The total value includes all transactions whether or not linked to specific 
companies.
	
	Known value: The value of transactions linked to specific companies.  All percentages given for 
company size and types are based on known value.
	
	Unidentified Value: The valued transactions that were not linked to a specific company. Note that 
these shipments might have been imported either by identified companies or by other companies not 
identified in the linking process.
	
	
	Additional Information
	
	For additional information, refer to the Guide to Foreign Trade Statistics: www.census.gov/foreign-
trade/guide
55

