A Methodology to Correct and Harmonize International Trade Data in Mineral Resources

Abstract

There are often discrepancies in complementary trade data published by different countries. This article develops a method that compares the data for each country with those of its partner countries and assigns reliability scores which are then used to calculate a harmonized dataset. The whole process, from procuring and preparing the data to calculating the harmonized dataset, is described and discussed. The focus of this study is methodological. No actual analysis of trade data is provided. The approach contains numerous elements that might be useful when reconciling data from different sources without external indicators for true values.