The 9th Meeting of Working Group on International Merchandise Trade Statistics (WGIMTS9)

Event Name: The 9^th Meeting of Working Group on International Merchandise Trade Statistics (WGIMTS9)

Event Date & Place: ASEAN Secretariat, 27 – 28 July 2023, at Jakarta, Indonesia (hybrid).

Participants: Members of WGIMTS and other additional members from related institutions i.e. Ministry of Commerce, Central Bank, and Customs Authorities.

Dr. Ahmad Zafarullah, Director of ASEAN Economic Monitoring Directorate delivered the welcome remarks, and the meeting officially opened and chaired by Ms. Divina Gracia L. Del Prado, Assistant Secretary, Deputy National Statistician, Sectoral Statistics Office, Philippines Statistical Authority.

The meeting discussed the progress in the harmonisation of ASEAN Member States’ IMTS data and the enhancement of IMTS data quality with regard to the implementation of ASEAN Harmonised Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN) 2022, updating the data transmission protocol and ASEANstats’ IMTS Metadata; as well as  production of IMTS Data Quality Synthesis Report 2022; the effectiveness of IMTS data sharing and dissemination particularly the Quantity data submission and Mode of Transport dissemination; updates on the implementation of ASEAN-Help-ASEAN Framework (AHAF); and updates on International Merchandise Trade Statistics (IMTS) manual by the members of UN Trade Task Team.