The UN has launched a new Trade Data Extraction interface for Comtrade, providing international merchandise trade statistics for 140 countries from 1962 to present. Users are invited to test the new resource and send feedback (via the link at the top of the beta page). Note that the test platform has a download limit of 50,000 observations. EUI members have full access to the current UN Comtrade subscription (no download limit) via the Library’s Comtrade resource page. In late June, Comtrade is scheduled to add an application programming interface (API) for ease of download, collation and integration of data. Full details.

The World Trade Organisation has released the 2014 edition of International Trade Statistics in Excel and pdf formats. This year’s edition includes new Commodity Profiles and new Regional Export Profiles. An archive of related reports is available via this link. The EUI Library provides access to these related resources: ComExt, IMF Direction of Trade Statistics, International Trade Centre data, OECD iLibrary, TiVA, UN ComTrade and WIIW (Central-Eastern Europe). Full details are on the library macroeconomic resources directory.

The Observatory of Economic Complexity – a joint initiative of the MIT Media Lab and the Harvard Center for International Development – has issued the 2014 Atlas of Economic Complexity providing global trade and development data, network graphics and data visualisations. The paper version of the Atlas is available at EUI Library shelfmark 337. Related resources are on the Library’s macroeconomic data page.

ITC data on international trade, market access, foreign direct investment and economic standards are now available to EUI members via the ITC development research network license. Access by creating a login with an eui.eu mail account. The International Trade Centre (Geneva) is a joint agency of UNCTAD and the WTO. Full details are on this new EUI Library page.

The Trade in Value-Added (TiVA) database, launched on 16 January, is the outcome of a major data study by the OECD and WTO. TiVA uses an alternative methodology to calculate international trade data – intended to provide more accurate observations on the diversity of value-added. The database can be used for research on foreign direct investment, component sourcing (domestic/external) and diverse aspects of international trade. A new Library page for this resource was launched on 18 January. For more trade and FDI resources, please visit the EUI Library Data Portal.