Department of Foreign Trade Statistics in the Central Department of Statistics & Information (CDSI) is used to issue bulletins on the movement of imports and exports of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. During the application of Brussels Tariffs Nomenclature (B.T.N), these bulletins used to be issued in only one book containing about 3000 commodities. In the beginning of   1411 A.H (1991A.D), the Department of Foreign Trade Statistics started to apply and use the Harmonized System (HS) for goods' classification and categorization, at the same time, in which the Customs Authority applied the system to classify the imported or exported goods. HS includes more than 7000 goods while adding or adjusting any significant goods periodically at the local or international level in coordination with the Saudi Customs Authority and the World Customs Organization (WCO). Given this, the Department of Foreign Trade Statistics also issues independent statistical bulletins for all imports and exports of Saudi Arabia, in which tangible goods movement between the Kingdom and various world countries are elaborated by various international classifications as follows:-

 First: Import Statistics Bulletin:

 Bases used in collecting, processing & disseminating import statistics

 1 – Basic system: 
      The collection, processing and dissemination of statistics in this bulletin based on the Kingdom's general statistics system issued by Royal Decree No. 23 dated 07/12 / 1379 A.H (01/06/1960 A.D), of which Article no. (3) pointed that the CDSI is assigned to undertake the task of conducting trade, economic , health, educational, industrial, financial or agricultural and others as needed. 
  
  2 - Source of Data: 
      Customs import data incoming from the Customs Authority is considered the only basic source of the imports bulletin statistics.   

3 - Trading System: 
  CDSI collects the foreign trade statistics to cover the entire Kingdom's import of goods to meet local needs. Moreover, this bulletin does not include some of materials, such as goods in transit and bank notes …etc.  
  4 - Classification of Goods: 
      The basic data on foreign trade in this publication depends on the customs tariff in accordance with the HS related to the classification and categorization of goods under the Royal Decree No. M / 56 dated 19/10/1407 A.H (15/06/1985 A.D), consisting of six digits set up by the Customs Cooperation Council. The scope of this code/symbol of the six digits was expanded to the current classification of the Kingdom's eight-digits in accordance with the decision issued by the Saudi Minister of Finance and National Economy, No. 3 / 1805 dated 19/10/1410 A.H, (1988 A.D).

 The following is an index of Customs tariff in accordance with the Harmonized System (HS), including the first two blocks and consisting of eight boxes contained in this bulletin.
     

 In addition, this bulletin concludes tables which are presented by the International Standard Classification (SITC) and Broad Economic Category Classification (BEC). 
  
5 - Bulletin Size: 
      In order to make the bulletin within a reasonable size, some restrictions are put.
     It is noted   that there are goods imported with a certificate of origin as "the European Union." 
  
  6 - Units of Measurement: 
Defining the quantity of any commodity by net weight while there are some goods and items of which their quantities are defined by numbers,  such as (sheep, cars and watches and the like). The value is the Saudi Arabian Riyal (SAR).  
  
  7 - Most Important Definitions and Concepts Used in Import Statistics:

    - Import 
    - Port of Entry
    - Means of Transport

- Country of Goods' Origin 
    - Statistical Handbook 
    - Net weight 
    - Value of Imports (C.I.F) 

  8 - Sources of Amendments: 
Foreign trade data subjects to a number of changes that may arise from various sources, some of which relate to the commodity classification, weight, value and other such as settlements, which might occur at the end of each period and affect the data already published in earlier periods, noting that such statistics  include revisions and statistical programs prepared and designed to protect the accuracy of the statistics. Figures of the foreign trade bulletins may be changed depending on the data coming from the Customs Authority, however, being amended and clarified in the subsequent bulletins.

The annual import statistics bulletin shows the movement of the tangible goods between the Kingdom and various countries all over the world, including the following tables:
 
• Top 10 of exporters (countries) to Saudi Arabia by import value with  three major items. 
• Top 50 imported items by value with three major countries. 
• National and foreign goods imported from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
• Imports by groups of States and imported States. 
• Imports by main sections. 
• Imports by Standard International Trade Classification (SITC). 
• Imports by Broad Economic Categories Classification (BEC). 
• Imports by the use of materials.
• Imports by the nature of materials. 
• Imports by main Ports. 
• Imports by means of transport. 
• Imports by chapters and main sections. 
• Imports by items and States. 
• Imports by States and items. 
• Imports from GCC. 

II - Export statistics bulletin:

 Bases used in collecting, processing & disseminating export statistics  
  
  1 – Basic system: 
      The collection, processing and dissemination of statistics in this bulletin based on the Kingdom's general statistics system issued by Royal Decree No. 23 dated 07/12 / 1379 A.H (01/06/1960 A.D), of which Article no. (3) pointed that the CDSI is assigned to undertake the task of conducting trade, economic , health, educational, industrial, financial or agricultural and others as needed. 
  
  2 - Source of Data: 
     Export data incoming from the Customs Authority and mineral products data incoming from Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources are considered the main source of this bulletin. 

3 - Trading System: 
  CDSI collects the foreign trade statistics to cover the entire Kingdom's exports of goods to all over the world. Moreover, this bulletin does not include some of materials, such as goods in transit and bank notes …etc. 

  4 - Classification of Goods: 
      The basic data on foreign trade in this publication depends on the customs tariff in accordance with the HS related to the classification and categorization of goods under the Royal Decree No. M / 56 dated 19/10/1407 A.H (15/06/1985 A.D), consisting of six digits set up by the Customs Cooperation Council. The scope of this code/symbol of the six digits was expanded to the current classification of the Kingdom's eight-digits in accordance with the decision issued by the Saudi Minister of Finance and National Economy, No. 3 / 1805 dated 19/10/1410 A.H, (1988 A.D) 
    
The following is an index of Customs tariff in accordance with the Harmonized System (HS), including the first two blocks and consisting of eight boxes contained in this bulletin.

In addition, this bulletin concludes tables which are presented by the International Standard Classification (SITC) and Broad Economic Category Classification (BEC). 
  
5 - Bulletin Size: 
      In order to make the bulletin within a reasonable size, some restrictions are put.  

  6 - Units of Measurement: 
Defining the quantity of any commodity by net weight while there are some goods and items of which their quantities are defined by numbers, such as (sheep, cars, watches and the like). The value is the Saudi Arabian Riyal (SAR).  
  
  7 - Most Important Definitions and Concepts Used in Export Statistics:

    - National Exports
    - Port of Exit

   - Re-exportation

    - Means of Transport

     - Country of Destination 
    - Statistical Handbook 
    - Net weight 
    - Value of Exports (F.O.B) 

  8 - Sources of Amendments: 
Foreign trade data exposes to a number of changes that may arise from various sources, some of which relate to the commodity classification, weight, value and other such as settlements, which might occur at the end of each period and affect the data already published in earlier periods, noting that such statistics  include revisions and statistical programs prepared and designed to protect the accuracy of the statistics. Figures of the foreign trade bulletins may be changed depending on the data coming from the Customs Authority, however, being amended and clarified in the subsequent bulletins.

The annual export statistics bulletin includes numerous tables showing the Kingdom's annual exports of national and re-exported goods to various countries all over the world, as follows: 

• Kingdom's exports to GCC 
• Commodities exported from the Kingdom to GCC

• Exports by main sections
• Exports by Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) 
• Exports by Broad Economic Categories Classification (BEC) 
  * Exports by groups of States

·        Exports by the use of materials 
•  Exports by chapters and main sections
 • Exports by items and groups of States 
• Exports by groups of States and items 

III – Bulletin of Trade Exchange between Kingdom and its Main Trading Partners: 

This bulletin includes the trade exchange between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and 60 countries all over the world during a period of 10 years, distributed by groups of States.  It also contains tables showing the values of exports and imports, the order of each State and the trade balance as well as top 5 major exported and imported commodities in only one sole year with graphs of the movement of exports and imports in 10 years, with each State.

IV - Bulletin of Index Numbers for Foreign Trade: 

     This bulletin contains a series of index numbers for exports and imports by main sections in accordance with the classification of the Harmonized System (HS), and contains the following tables: 
- The relative importance of imports and exports by main sections 
- Index Numbers of  imports 
- The relative changes in the Index Numbers of  imports
- Index Numbers of  exports 
- The relative changes in the Index Numbers of  exports 
- Index Numbers of  the rate of net trade exchange
- Index Numbers of  the rate of total trade exchange 
- Index Numbers of  the rate of internal trade exchange