For U.S. merchandise trade figures by commodity and country, start with the Census Bureau’s USA Trade Online. Choose imports or exports, select a dataset and commodity code, then filter by trading partner, time period and measure. The right route depends on whether you need detailed customs commodities, broad industry categories, state or port geography, or just country totals.
Choose the right Census Bureau source
| Question | Use | Coverage or limitation |
|---|---|---|
| How much did the U.S. trade with a country over time? | Country and Product Trade Data, country-only table | Monthly country exports, imports and trade balance from 1985 to present; no product detail. |
| How much of a broad industry did the U.S. trade with a country? | Country-by-NAICS tables or NAICS data in USA Trade Online | Country by 3- and 6-digit NAICS monthly and annual data from January 2000 to present. NAICS describes industries, not individual customs commodities. |
| How much of a specific commodity was imported from or exported to a country? | USA Trade Online district HS data or downloadable merchandise files | Use HTS codes for imports and Schedule B codes for exports; available detail and historical coverage depend on dataset. |
| Which state or port is associated with the trade? | State or port datasets in USA Trade Online, or state data products | State export data reflects origin of movement; state import data reflects state of destination. Customs districts and ports represent different geography. |
| Do I need a file for my own analysis? | Census Bureau Data Products | Import and export files have different classifications and value fields. Review the product description and record layout before using them. |
For a selected product-by-country table without building a detailed query, the Census country and product page also provides NAICS and end-use tables. Its country-by-5-digit end-use annual totals begin in 2012. For programmatic access, the Census Harmonized System page describes an International Trade API with monthly HS data from 2013 onward.
Build a product-by-partner report in USA Trade Online
- Choose imports, exports or both. Export partner data generally refers to the country of destination; import data identifies country of origin.
- Pick the geographic dataset. District, port and state datasets answer different questions and provide different levels of commodity detail. District-level HS data supports the most detailed commodity view.
- Find and select the commodity. Search by product wording or code, then confirm the classification and edition. Exports use Schedule B; imports use HTS.
- Set the partner and period. Select the country or other available partner, then choose the time span and frequency supported by the dataset.
- Select the measures you need. Depending on the dataset and trade direction, options can include value, quantity, weight, transport mode, customs value, CIF value, import charges or duties.
- View or download the report. Use the report’s download controls. Census downloadable products are another option when you need a larger file for analysis.
USA Trade Online supports district, port, state and NAICS datasets, but those are not interchangeable views of a single underlying question. Census describes USA Trade Online as “the simplest, fastest, and most economical way to access the monthly merchandise trade numbers”; that is the agency’s description of its own service.
Match the commodity code to the direction of trade
Do not assume an import code and an export code are interchangeable. Census describes Harmonized Systems data as using Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) numbers for imports and Schedule B numbers for exports. A familiar product name may map to more than one statistical code, and codes can change between annual editions.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
#1 Best Overall
For an export, use the Census Bureau’s Schedule B search tool and code information to identify and verify the code and edition. The page lists the 2026 and earlier editions and notes that concordance files can change. For imports, select the appropriate HTS code in the Census data interface or file; the linked Census HS data page explains the import/export classification distinction.
Pick geography based on the question
“Where the trade happened” can mean several different things in Census data. Exports are reported by destination, while imports identify country of origin. State export statistics use origin of movement; state import statistics use state of destination. District and port datasets describe customs geography rather than the state-origin or state-destination concepts.
Commodity detail also varies by geography. Census lists district-level HS detail up to 10 digits, port-level detail up to six digits, and state HS detail at six digits. Use the state or port view only when that geographic concept answers your question; do not treat it as a substitute for district data.
Check the series start date and detail before comparing
| Dataset | Detail and frequency listed by Census | Start of coverage listed |
|---|---|---|
| District-level HS | Up to 10 digits; annual, monthly and year-to-date | Annual from 1992; monthly and year-to-date from 2003 |
| Port-level HS | Up to six digits; monthly | 2003 |
| State export HS | Six digits; monthly | 2002 |
| State import HS | Six digits; monthly | 2008 |
| Country-only totals | Monthly country exports, imports and balance; no product detail | 1985 |
| Country by NAICS | 3- and 6-digit product/industry detail, monthly and annually | January 2000 |
| Country by end-use | 5-digit annual totals | 2012 |
| International Trade API | Monthly HS data | 2013 |
These are the start dates and detail levels listed on Census pages, not a promise that every product-country combination has a nonzero or unsuppressed observation in every period. Check the current release and data notes. A series may also be unsuitable for long-run comparison if its classification, geography or measure changes over time.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Rank #3
- Used Book in Good Condition
Choose and report the measure carefully
Export files can include value, quantity, shipping weight and transport-mode measures. Import products can provide customs and CIF values, import charges, dutiable value and calculated duties. Those figures represent different concepts: do not compare or add them as if they were the same measure. Identify the selected value basis, unit and trade direction in any calculation or published result.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Make the result reproducible
When saving a query or downloading a file, keep the details needed for another analyst to recreate it:
Rank #4
- Census data product and retrieval date
- Import or export direction and commodity code, including the code edition
- Partner definition and selected country
- Geographic dataset and its meaning
- Measure, unit and frequency
- Time period and any filters applied
The Census Bureau says that data products previously available by subscription are now public at no cost. Consult the Data Products page for the available files and their layouts; the downloadable import and export products do not necessarily contain the same fields.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
