econ and excel

Instructions for Finding Data on Current and Historical Trade Patterns

1. Go to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Statistics Data Base (UNCTADSTAT): http://unctadstat.unctad.org/ReportFolders/reportFolders.aspx?sCS_referer=&sCS_ChosenLang=en 2. Make sure the selected folder (in the left column) is: “International trade in goods and services” 3. Click on: “Trade trends” 4. Click on: “Exports and imports of goods and services, annual, 1980-2013” 5. To get data on the value of exports of goods for your country:

Click on the icon for “Select items to view” (in the upper left corner of the web page, under the Table tab). It will say “Select items to view” when you place your cursor over the icon. For each item under “Select items to view,” make the following choices:

ECONOMY  Custom groups  Create compound group  Clear all  Select country  Save  Back FLOW  Custom groups  Create compound group  Clear all  Select “Exports”  Save  Back

SERIES  Custom groups  Create compound group  Clear all  Select “Total trade in goods”  Save  Back

MEASURE  Custom groups  Create compound group  Clear all  Select ”US Dollars at current prices and current exchange rates in millions”  Save  Back

6. To download other data:

Data for another country  Go back to ECONOMY (see above) and choose another country. (Make sure you click the red “X” after you are in “Custom groups” to delete the “New Compound Group” that was associated with the previous selection.)

Data for imports  Go back to FLOW (see above) and select “Imports”. (Make sure you click the red “X” after you are in “Custom groups” to delete the “New Compound Group” that was associated with the previous selection.)

Data for services  Go back to SERIES (see above) and select “Total trade in services”. (Make sure you click the red “X” after you are in “Custom groups” to delete the “New Compound Group” that was associated with the previous selection.)

7. Once you have made all your selections (in step #5 or #6), click “Show Table,” and then the Excel

icon to download (save) the data. The data, based on your selections, will be given in the first row at the top of the spreadsheet, next to the “New Compound Group” label under “ECONOMY”.

8. Copy the data for the most recent 10 years and paste into a new Excel spreadsheet. You can now

use Excel to draw charts of your country’s exports and imports of goods and services over the last 10 years. To get data to compare your country to the U.S., other countries, and the World, use steps #5 and #6 above and make the appropriate selections.