NOTE
The June 2006 issue of this document introduces a number of changes to the presentation of the Confidential Commodities List (CCL). Details of the restrictions were previously provided under three separate documents in pdf format. These three documents have now been replaced by a single spreadsheet available from the Details tab of this document. These new arrangements simplify the presentation of the CCL and clients can use the normal spreadsheet functionality to more readily locate restrictions on a specific export or import commodity.
PREFACE
This document details all import and export commodities which have been subject to confidentiality restrictions since 1 January 1988. The spreadsheet containing the details of the confidentialisation is referred to as the Confidential Commodities List (CCL).
The CCL is available from the Details tab of this document. The spreadsheet presents information under the following four sheets:
- changes and new restrictions to export items in the current month
- changes and new restrictions to import items in the current month
- all export restrictions from January 1988 to the current month
- all import restrictions from January 1988 to the current month.
REFERENCE PERIOD RELATING TO THE CCL
The CCL is issued early in each month and presents the confidentiality restrictions applicable to the previous reference month and earlier periods e.g. the CCL released on 8 May 2006 (called the April 2006 CCL) presents restrictions relevant to the April 2006 reference period and earlier periods. The CCL is released ahead of the import and export statistics for the latest reference month so that clients can assess the impact on any statistics they use.
As the CCL contains historic data you can usually use the latest CCL for statistics relating to any period e.g. the April 2006 CCL details restrictions in place for the 2005 calendar year. The exception to this is where a 'rolling' restriction has been applied. A rolling restriction maximises the level of detail available and is used where the business requesting the restriction has agreed that more detailed data for a month can be provided with a lag e.g. detailed data for a commodity may become available six months later. This means, using Lupins (AHECC 1214.90.21) as an example:
- if you looked at the May 2006 CCL the following restrictions would apply to Lupins:
- No commodity details from December 2005
- No State details from April 200 to November 2005
- if you looked at the June 2006 CCL the restrictions applying to Lupins would change to:
- No commodity details from January 2006
- No State details from April 200 to December 2005.
The use of rolling restrictions may complicate the use of the CCL if data are extracted at a point in time and the latest CCL is subsequently accessed.
Currently the rolling restriction only applies to three commodities.
INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE CCL
There are eight fields provided in each sheet in the CCL spreadsheet. In order of presentation, the fields are:
1 (A) HTISC ITEM
Harmonized Tariff Item Statistical Code: the 10-digit code given to an import commodity at the greatest level of detail (refer Customs Tariff, available from the Australian Customs Service, for full listing).
OR (B) AHECC ITEM
Australian Harmonized Export Commodity Classification: the 8-digit code given to an export commodity at the greatest level of detail (refer ABS publication Catalogue No. 1233.0, for full listing).
2 DELETE DATE
A date in this field indicates that the HTISC or AHECC has been superseded, and gives the date (format YYYYMMDD) this took place. If this field is blank, the HTISC or AHECC is current.
3 MONTH OF EFFECT
The month in which the restriction commenced, i.e. data for the item for that month will be restricted. The date of effect is always the first of the month.
4 MONTH OF CESSATION
The final month for which a restriction is effective. The date of cessation is always the last day of the month. If this field is blank, the restriction is current.
5 SITC-REV3
Some ABS international trade output is presented using the Standard International Trade Classification, Revision 3 (SITC), rather than the HTISC or AHECC. Codes in this field show the SITC 5-digit item which is affected by the restricted HTISC or AHECC.
6 ANZSIC
Some ABS international trade output is presented on an industry of origin basis according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC). Codes in this field show the ANZSIC 4 digit industry code which is affected by the restricted HTISC or AHECC.
7 RESTRICTION APPLIED
Confidentiality restrictions are applied to data at the most detailed level of the classification (statistical code level). Effects of these restrictions at the broader level are addressed in the Explanatory Notes. Special arrangements are made for exports of alumina, and port statistics for Gove and Groote Eylandt. These are also addressed in the Explanatory Notes.
The range of standard restrictions applied to data together with their impact is set out below.
No State Details
Suppresses all details of Australian States of final destination/discharge for imports, and Australian State of loading/origin for exports.
Selected State Details
As per No State Details except that only nominated States are suppressed in output, eg Selected State Details NSW VIC means separate data are not available for NSW or Victoria, but they are available for other States.
No Country Details
Suppresses all details of source countries for imports and destination countries for exports.
Selected Country Details
As per No Country Details except that only nominated countries are suppressed in output, eg Selected Country Details USA, BRAZ, FGMY means separate data are not available for USA, Brazil or Germany, however they are available for other countries.
No State x Country Details
Suppresses trade between the countries and States covered by the restriction, eg No State x Country QLD TAS USA means that for trade with the USA, separate data for QLD and TAS are not available.
No Quantity Details
Suppresses all quantity and gross weight details
No Value Details
Suppresses all value details.
No Value Details for Country
Suppresses all value details by country but retains quantity details by country.
No Duty Details
Suppresses details of duty paid, duty rate, Treatment code and Preference Code for import commodities.
Broad Commodity Details
Suppresses data at detailed item level, but some aggregated data at the chapter level is available. For example, data for exports of beneficiated ilmenite (AHECC 26140020) is not available separately, but is grouped with other items from Chapter 26 with a Broad Commodity Details restriction into a 'dump' code (AHECC 26999999). No details of the country of origin (for imports), the country of final destination (for exports) or the Australian State and port are made available for goods in the chapter dump item. For import clearances, duty details are also suppressed. The composition of the chapter dump codes has changed over time due to the imposition and removal of Broad Commodity Details restrictions, so care should be exercised in making comparisons between data for various time periods for the chapter dump codes.
No Commodity Details
Suppresses all commodity details. Data for all commodities with a No Commodity Details restriction are aggregated to a 'confidential item' code in Chapter 99.
8 COMMODITY DESCRIPTION
A "free standing" description of the goods which are included under the HTISC or AHECC item, eg "Coffee, roasted, decaffeinated". Free standing descriptors (FSDs) exist for all numeric codes and provide descriptions of codes which are meaningful outside the context of classification hierarchies. Please note that FSDs are not used in the collection of data.
9 FURTHER INFORMATION
The Explanatory Notes tab of this document contains additional information about the confidentialisation of import and export commodities including:
- special confidentiality arrangements
- how to apply for a confidentiality restriction
- how to print restrictions for a specific period from the CCL spreadsheet, and
- how to obtain more information.
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