Exporter Dynamics Database

As the first public database to provide detailed comparable information on the microstructure of trade flows between countries, the Exporter Dynamics Database (EDD) has filled a significant gap in our understanding of the foundations of export growth. The database offers a comprehensive picture of exporter dynamics in both developed and developing countries.

The EDD draws on datasets covering the universe of exporter transactions obtained directly from customs agencies, allowing for comparability across countries. The measures in the EDD cover the basic micro-characteristics of the export sector (number of exporters, their size, and their growth), the degree of concentration and of diversification of exporters, their dynamics in terms of entry, exit, and survival, and the average unit prices of the products they trade.    

EDD version 2.0—the latest version of the database—now offers information for 70 countries. It also contains updated information and its time coverage has been extended with 2005-2012 being the period most commonly covered. For a selected group of countries, data are available from the 1990s and up to 2014.

Extensively used both for practical policy advice and novel research, the EDD is helping to enhance our understanding of the microfoundations of export growth and lead to more informed policymaking. 

The Database

The Exporter Dynamics Database measures are available at the following disaggregation levels:

a) country-year
b) country-year-product (HS 2-digit, HS 4-digit, or HS 6-digit)
c) country-year-destination
d) country-year-product (HS 2-digit)-destination
e) country-year-industry classification (ISIC Rev. 3, 3-digit).

Here are some options to analyze our data:

Users of the database please cite its source as: Fernandes, A., Freund, C. and M. Pierola (2016). “Exporter Behavior, Country Size and Stage of Development: Evidence from the Exporter Dynamics Database” Journal of Development Economics vol. 119, pp. 121–137.

Availability of Exporter-Level Data:

• Background (PDF)
• Exporter-Level Data Request Form

The Exporter Dynamics Database has been supported in part by the World Bank’s Multidonor Trust Fund for Trade and Development (MDTF) and the Strategic Research Partnership on Economic Development (SRP). Generous support was also provided by the Knowledge for Change Program (KCP), a trust funded partnership in support of research and data collection on poverty reduction and sustainable development housed in the office of the Chief Economist of the World Bank (https://www.worldbank.org/kcp).