Indicators which have been developed within the context of trade in value-added are, for instance, the import content of exports, value-added induced by export, or value-added induced by unit of export. Indicators help to identify the value-added of international trade, in particular the contribution of global value chains to economic growth, employment, productivity, labor compensation, research and development, and technological innovation. These indicators shed new light on financial, technological and trade interdependencies.
To better understand the dynamics of global supply-chains and the importance of trade to economic growth and employment, the OECD and World Trade Organisation (WTO) have launched a joint initiative to develop measures for trade in value-added. The two organisations will develop a new statistical model leading to the production of a public database of trade flows estimated in value-added terms. Provisional results will be published in May-June 2012 with more detailed statistics expected by the end of the year.
Under the general direction of the Committee on Industry, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Working Party on Globalization of Industry has been created in March 2007.The Working Party is responsible for analysing the impact of the globalisation of industry in the economy of member countries through economic analyses and statistical data. Its objective is to contribute to the CIIE's policy discussions and to help the Committee respond to the numerous demands involving globalisation from both within and outside the OECD.
"Trade statistics by enterprise characteristics" (TEC) comprises a new statistical area, compiled by merging micro data on trade in goods with business registers. With the help of this link, traders can be associated to appropriate statistical units with key characteristics such as activity sector (NACE) or number of employees. This provides new elements to economic analysis, for instance to review the impact of trade on employment, production and value added. TEC includes the following five datasets: 1) trade by activity sector and enterprise size clase, 2) concentration of trade by activity sector, 3) trade by partner countries and activity sector, 4) trade by number of partner countries and activity sector, and 5) trade by commodity and activity sector.