Changes in Real Exports and Real Imports and the Revision of Seasonally-Adjusted Data for them

April 1, 2005
Bank of Japan
Research and Statistics Department

We have changed the method of making the statistics of Real Exports and Real Imports. The seasonally-adjusted figures have also been revised.

Along with the changes in the available list of commodities for the Press Release in the original Trade Statistic, we have changed a part of the group categorization (Textiles and Related products, Precision Instruments, etc.) into a new categorization (Textile yarn, fabrics, and related products, Scientific, medical, and optical instruments, etc.). Therefore, the figures have been retroactively revised from January 1975. Please refer to "Explanation of Real Exports and Real Imports" for details.

The seasonally-adjusted data are revised on a regular basis, taking place every year around April, when retroactive revisions of the previous calendar year's figures in the Trade Statistics are released. The ARIMA parts of the X-12-ARIMA model are the same as before: (112) (011) for Real Exports and (011) (011) for Real Imports.