PRESS RELEASE

ANNOUNCING CORRECTION OF THE FIRST RELEASE

4.2.1/12. FOREIGN TRADE IN GOODS OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA

January – December 2011

The Croatian Bureau of Statistics is issuing correction of the First Release 4.2.1/12. Foreign Trade in Goods of the Republic of Croatia for the period January – December 2011.

Data sources for the foreign trade statistics are single administrative documents on export and import of goods. The Croatian Bureau of Statistics monthly takes over the single administrative documents from the Customs Administration of the Republic of Croatia and then performs statistical analysis and publishes results according to the basic methodological recommendations of the UN Statistics Division and Eurostat.

During the processing of 2011 data the Croatian Bureau of Statistics performed data checks of the whole set of 2011 monthly data. These controls demonstrated inconsistencies in the data. Therefore, the Croatian Bureau of Statistics has requested the Customs Administration for verification and subsequently a new delivery of data for the entire 2011. During processing, analysis and comparison of newly submitted data with already processed and published data it was revealed that Customs Administration had not delivered comprehensive data sets to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics. Delivery of non-comprehensive data sets occurred due to the technical error over which the Croatian Bureau of Statistics had no influence that is, part of the single administrative documents referring to the beginning of each month for the period from February to December 2011 were missing.

Data on foreign trade in goods published monthly in First Releases during the year (First Releases 4.2.1/1. - 4.2.1/12.) are considered provisional while the final data for the previous year are published in the middle of the current year in regular Final Releases. According to the Publishing Programme for 2012 and the Calendar of Statistical Data Issues in 2012, issue of final data on foreign trade in goods for 2011 has been planned for 4 July 2012, in First Release 4.2.4. Foreign Trade in Goods of the Republic of Croatia, 2011, Final Data.

Since the differences that would occur in the final data in relation to the provisional data would be significantly higher than the usual differences between the provisional and final data on foreign trade in goods, the Croatian Bureau of Statistics has decided to issue the correction of already published provisional data on foreign trade in goods for 2011 before issuing final data in July 2012. The correction is issued after comprehensive data were made available to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics and data for the entire 2011 were processed again.

Zagreb, 29 March 2012