INTRODUCTION


This paper presents experimental statistics on international shipping container movements. The paper describes:

• the requirements of government and industry for container statistics,
• the relationship between container statistics and related statistics,
• the methodology used to compile experimental statistics on inward containers, i.e. those used to import goods,
• the datasets available for compiling container statistics, and
• options for the future of these statistics.

The experimental statistics and description of the methodology presented in this paper result from extensive work undertaken by the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (Customs and Border Protection) and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) over several years. The assistance of Customs and Border Protection and input from government and industry stakeholders have contributed significantly to the development of these experimental statistics.

As the statistics presented in this paper are experimental, the methodology and output are subject to change due to further research, analysis and feedback.

The future production of these statistics will depend on feedback received and the availability of future funding as outlined in Feedback and future developments. Feedback on the issues raised in this paper is welcome.