Exporter Dynamics Database 1997-2014

Until not long ago, most trade databases focused on the aggregate flows of goods across borders and not on the exporting firms behind these flows. The Exporter Dynamics Database version 1.0 filled that gap by providing the first public database with detailed comparable information on the micro-structure of trade flows between countries. It offered a comprehensive picture of exporter dynamics in developed and developing countries.

Drawing upon data sets covering the universe of export transactions obtained directly from customs agencies, the measures in the Exporter Dynamics Database are comparable across countries. They cover basic micro-characteristics of the export sector (number of exporters, their size and growth), the degree of concentration and of diversification of exporters, their dynamics in terms of entry, exit and survival, and the average unit prices of the products they trade.

The Exporter Dynamics Database is helping to enhance our understanding of the micro foundations of export growth and lead to more informed policy-making. The measures in the Exporter Dynamics Database have been extensively used to support analytical work conducted for policy advising and they have also helped generate novel research by researchers in international organizations, academia, think tanks, etc.

The Exporter Dynamics Database version 2.0 now offers information for 70 countries. It also contains updated information and its time coverage has been extended with 2005-2012 being the period most commonly covered. For a selected group of countries, data is available from the 1990s and beyond 2012.