In accordance with its 2018 Annual Work Plan and within the framework of Statistical Capacity Building (StatCaB) Programme, SESRIC organised the Statistics Course on ‘International Trade Statistics' at Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) of Sudan on 18-20 March 2018.

The Statistics Course was conducted by Mr. Sayed Samir Saber GOMAA, Director of the Department of Foreign Trade at Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) of Egypt, with the participation of 15 officials of the CBS of Sudan.

As defined in the Classification of Statistical Activities (CSA Rev. 1 - October 2009; http://goo.gl/olg3Tz); International trade and balance of payments deal with statistics on all crossborder transactions recorded in the balance of payments, includes topics like trade in goods and services, external positions and debt, foreign direct investment, foreign affiliated trade, tariffs, market access, foreign aid, development assistance, resource flows to developing countries.

The Statistics Course on 'International Trade Statistics' included discussion activities with a focus on the following topics:

• Introduction and the importance of trade statistics
• Quantification and partner countries
• Special metadata
• Trade statistics
• Commercial system and types
• Data collection methodologies
• Dissemination methods and quality
• Commodity classifications
• Metadata and quality
• Transportation
• Some practical cases

Sign up for an account at OIC-StatCom Forum (http://forum.sesric.org/) to join the group discussion on the Statistics Course on 'International Trade Statistics' in Sudan available at: http://forum.sesric.org/?p=30314