Volume I of the 2008 International Trade Statistics Yearbook provides an overview of international merchandise trade in 2008 and data for a total of 173 countries (or areas) on imports and exports by commodity and trading partner with 2008 data provided for 77 countries (areas), representing approximately 61% of world trade of 2008.

Background: The 2008 International Trade Statistics Yearbook (2008 ITSY) is new and different from previous editions as it has been re-designed and its two volumes will be published separately. The 2008 ITSY 2008, Volume I - Trade by country has been completed in mid of June 2009 (instead of in December) in order to allow for an early release of an overview of international merchandise trade in 2008 and for a much earlier publication of the 2008 country (area) data available on UN Comtrade.The presentation of the information on individual countries (or areas) in Volume I has been re-designed. Instead of detailed tables, now so called country trade profiles show an analytical and condensed view of a country’s trade performance by using graphs, overview tables and descriptive text. For more detailed data users are requested to go directly to UN Comtrade (http://comtrade.un.org/db/default.aspx) which is the source of the information presented in the country trade profiles.

The 2008 ITSY, Volume II - Trade by commodity will be, as previously, completed end of December as more complete data is required for showing detailed information of trade by commodity.

The full electronic (pdf) version of this publication is expected to become available in early July 2009; the printed publication might become available by end of 2009. Please contact the United Nations Sales and Marketing Section at E-mail: publications@un.org or check on the internet at: http://unp.un.org.

The 2008 ITSY, Volume I has been made available in its parts at http://comtrade.un.org/pb/.