Statistics Estonia

Economic and Environmental Statistics Department

Statistics Estonia

51 Tatari Street

10134 Tallinn

ESTONIA

Import Price Index

The imported goods are classified according to CPA 2008, linked to the CN. The CPA is related to NACE Rev.2.

The import prices indicator covers products listed in Sections B, C and D of the CPA. Sections B-D of the EMTAK 2008 (related to NACE Rev. 2 and CPA). 

The definition reflects the terminology used in the Comission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197. The objective of the import price indices is to measure the monthly transaction price development of imported goods purchased from non-domestic areas by domestic residents.

Reporting unit is enterprise. Observation unit is transaction. 

The population covers products imported to Estonia by enterprises within sectors described in 3.3. Coverage - sector.

A sample is drawn from a list of active importers from business register for statistical purposes.

The whole country is covered.

The import price index is calculated since 1998. Data were recalculated according to NACE Rev.2 back to 2007.

Index reference period is 2015=100.

Index base period is the year of which weights are based on t-2.

Index

Month

Official Statistics Act of 10.06.2010.

https://www.riigiteataja.ee/en/eli/ee/506012015002/consolide/current

Pursuant to the Official Statistics Act, at the request of Statistics Estonia conducting official statistical surveys, respondents are required to submit, by specified due dates, to the extent established by a list of official statistical surveys approved by the Government of the Republic, and the official statistical questionnaires approved by the Minister of Finance and the President of the Bank of Estonia. For the purposes of the Act respondents are legal persons registered in Estonia, branches of foreign commercial undertakings, state and local government agencies, sole proprietors and natural persons who own immovable property, building or parts thereof. In the case of failure to submit the data collected by official statistical surveys, a fine is imposed.

Regulation (EC) No 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and the Commission implementing Regulation 2020/1197 of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics, repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics (Text with EEA relevance).

Data are transmitted to Eurostat, OECD.

The dissemination of data collected for the purpose of producing official statistics is guided by the requirements provided for in § 34 and § 35 of the Official Statistics Act.

The treatment of confidential data is regulated by the Procedure for Protection of Data Collected and Processed by Statistics Estonia: https://www.stat.ee/en/statistics-estonia/about-statistics-estonia/legal-acts.

Notifications about the dissemination of statistics are published in the release calendar, which is available on the website. On 1 October each year, the release times of the Statistical Database, news releases, main indicators by IMF SDDS and publications are announced in the release calendar (in case of publications – the release month).

The publication calendar of news releases and the statistical publications are available on the web site of Statistics Estonia www.stat.ee under the heading "Statistics Estonia".

www.stat.ee/en/calendar

All users have been granted an equal access to official statistics: this means that the dissemination dates of official statistics have to be announced in advance and no user category (incl. Eurostat, state authorities and mass media) can have access to the official statistics (results of official statistical surveys) before other users. Statistical information is first published in the Statistical Database. In case a news release is published based on the same data, the information provided in the relevant news release is simultaneously published in the Statistical Database. Official statistics are available on the website at 8.00 a.m. on the date announced in the release calender.

Month

The news release „Producer price index of industrial output, export and import price index” once a month. The news release can be viewed on the website www.stat.ee/en/news.

Data are published on the Internet site www.stat.ee.

Data are published under the heading „Economy/Prices” in the Statistical Database in andmed.stat.ee/en/stat.

The dissemination of data collected for the purpose of producing official statistics is guided by the requirements provided for in § 34, § 35, § 36, § 37, § 38 of the Official Statistics Act. Access to micro-data and anonymisation of micro-data are regulated by Statistics Estonia’s „Procedure for dissemination of confidential data for scientific purposes”: https://www.stat.ee/en/statistics-estonia/about-statistics-estonia/legal-acts.

Data are sent to Eurostat both to be used in European aggregates as well as to be released as national data.

European business statistics methodological manual for short-term business statistics https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3859598/13927551/KS-GQ-21-018-EN-N.pdf/a971106a-6884-9350-38b1-3b095601bb64?t=1638976676048

Handbook on industrial producer price indices (PPI). Methodologies and Workingpapers. Eurostat (2012) https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3859598/5923093/KS-RA-12-020-EN.PDF/8953c29e-b62c-409a-93f2-a51a482523db?version=1.0

Export and Import Price Index Manual - Theory and Practise. IMF (2009)

The reports "PEEI in focus" provide, for each Member State detailed information on definitions, coverage and sampling issues, response rates, index compilation, error identification, seasonal adjustment and other quality aspects of these indicators.

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Methods_for_compiling_PEEIs_in_short-term_business_statistics&oldid=402467#Previous_PEEI_in_focus_reports

To assure the quality of processes and products, Statistics Estonia applies the EFQM Excellence Model, EU Statistics Code of Practice and the ESS Quality Assurance Framework (QAF). Statistics Estonia is also guided by the requirements provided for in § 7. „Principles and quality criteria of producing official statistics” of the Official Statistics Act.

The quality assessment is based on quality requirements of the ESS (relevance, accuracy, timelines and punctuality, accessibility and clarity, coherence and comparability). The inspection of statistical survey, updating survey methodology and statistical questionnaire, self-assessment of survey manager are carried out.

Data are only published when they have a high degree of consistency.

• Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications
• Bank of Estonia
• Estonian Institute of Economic Research
• Ministry of Finance
• Eurostat
• Users‘ suggestions and information about taking them into account are available on the website www.stat.ee/en/statistics-estonia/about-us/user-surveys.

Since 1996 Statistics Estonia conducts reputation surveys and user surveys. All results are available on the website www.stat.ee/en/statistics-estonia/about-us/user-surveys.

In compliance with the rules (regulations).

The type of survey and the data collection methods ensure sufficient coverage and timeliness.

Purposive sampling is used; i.e. enterprises are chosen with a record of stable imports and sales activity. Sample size is 500 units.

The weight system t-2 (weighting patterns, sample of respondents and basket of goods) and base prices Dec t-1 for calculations are updated every year. The representativeness is ensured.

Data for the last three months may be adjusted. The data are considered final after three months following the reference month.

Sampling error is not calculated for non-random sample.

Prices are mainly collected by web based questionnaire with having automatic controls and checks in place.

The response rate is about 98%. E-mail remainders and telephone calls are used to maintain response rate.

Models are not used.

Imputation methods have been used for prices that are not available. Based on available information, prices are carried forward or imputed by observing the movement in the index for similar products or product groups.

The import price index is published monthly on the 20th day of the month following the end of the reference month or on the next business day.

Data for the last three months may be adjusted. The data are considered final after three months following the reference month.

The data have been published at the time announced in the release calender.

The data are comparable from country to another. However, the countries may apply different collection and calculation methods for the data. No geographical regions, Estonia as a whole.

The data are comparable across time.

Indices are coherent cross domain.

The aggregates are coherent with the total.

The assessment of cost and burden covers the statistics for NSI as well as STS needs.

Cost (NSI) hours per year: 2331

Burden (respondents) hours per year: 3288

The same revision policy is applied to data released nationally and transmitted to Eurostat.

Data revision policy is described in the Dissemination Policy of Statistics Estonia. Notification of corrections: www.stat.ee/en/statistics-estonia/about-us/strategy/principles-dissemination-official-statistics.

Data for the last three months may be adjusted. The data are considered final after three months following the reference month.

Methodological changes and revisions are announced at the same time as the changes.

Mean absolute revision (MAR) = 5.2

Mean revision (MR) = -5.2

The weights are derived from the survey "Foreign Trade" conducted by Statistics Estonia. Purposive sampling; i.e. enterprises are chosen with a record of stable import activity. Prices are mainly collected by web based questionnaire. Over 1500 price quotations are collected per month.

Monthly

Data are collected through eSTAT (the web channel for electronic data submission). eSTAT is also used to monitor the completion of questionnaires. The questionnaires have been designed for completion in eSTAT by the respondents themselves and they include instructions and controls. The questionnaires and information about data submission are available on Statistics Estonia’s website at www.stat.ee/en/submit-data/about-data-submission (in Estonian). Data are collected with the monthly statistical questionnaire „Impordihind”.

Prices data are reviewed by the price statistics staff. In case of problems or doubtful cases the respondents are contacted by telephone for clarification. The price statistics staff verifies the computation of the index at various stages of its compilation.

The (chain) Laspeyres formula is used. Based on available information, the last observed price is carried forward or this is imputed by observing the movement in the index for similar products or product groups.

The import price index is not seasonally adjusted.

None.