On the Accuracy of Latin American Trade Statistics: A Nonparametric Test for 1925

34 Pages Posted: 15 Nov 2005

See all articles by Mar Rubio

Mar Rubio

Public University of Navarre - Department of Economics

Mauricio Folchi

Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Department of Economics and Business (DEB)

Date Written: July 2005

Abstract

This paper proposes a nonparametric test in order to establish the level of accuracy of the foreign trade statistics of 17 Latin American countries when contrasted with the trade statistics of the main partners in 1925. The Wilcoxon Matched-Pairs Ranks test is used to determine whether the differences between the data registered by exporters and importers are meaningful, and if so, whether the differences are systematic in any direction. The paper tests for the reliability of the data registered for two homogeneous products, petroleum and coal, both in volume and value. The conclusion of the several exercises performed is that we cannot accept the existence of statistically significant differences between the data provided by the exporters and the registered by the importing countries in most cases. The qualitative historiography of Latin American describes its foreign trade statistics as mostly unusable. Our quantitative results contest this view.

Keywords: Latin America, statistical accuracy, international trade data, nonparametric methods, petroleum trade, coal trade

JEL Classification: N73, F14, C14

Suggested Citation

Rubio Varas, Maria del Mar and Folchi, Mauricio, On the Accuracy of Latin American Trade Statistics: A Nonparametric Test for 1925 (July 2005). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=847611 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.847611

Maria del Mar Rubio Varas (Contact Author)

Public University of Navarre - Department of Economics ( email )

Universidad Publica de Navarra
Campus Universitario
Pamplona, 31006
Spain

HOME PAGE: http://www.econ.unavarra.es/mar_rubio/

Mauricio Folchi

Universitat Pompeu Fabra - Department of Economics and Business (DEB) ( email )

Barcelona, 08005
Spain

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