According to the definitions of national accounts, exports and imports include both goods and services. Foreign trade statistics, by contrast, cover only the imports and exports of goods.
Foreign trade statistics are an important source for calculating cross-border goods transactions in national accounts.
However, the definitions of foreign trade statistics do not completely correspond to the definitions of national accounts which are based on the European System of Accounts (ESA) 2010. There are conceptual differences with regard to the scope of data collection, time-related aspects and evaluations.
In particular, statistical recording in foreign trade statistics is based on the physical border crossing of merchandise which leads to an increase or decrease in merchandise inventories, whereas in national accounts and balance of payments statistics the transfer of economic ownership between residents and non-residents is relevant. As of the introduction of ESA 2010 for example the treatment of processing under contract has been redefined. Goods which enter the country for processing without transfer of economic ownership and which leave the country afterwards are included in foreign trade statistics as imports and exports. As there is no transfer of economic ownership, however, they are no longer recorded as imports and exports in national accounts. The same applies to goods which are exported for processing under contract without transfer of economic ownership and are then re-imported: instead of an export or import of goods, only the service fee for processing is included.
Further, there are differences between the "special trade" concept of foreign trade statistics and the "general trade" concept of national accounts.
"Special trade" includes all goods which are imported for use/consumption or treatment/processing as well as goods produced or treated/processed in Germany which are exported. Goods of foreign origin which are re-exported without being treated or processed are also included.
"General trade" is different from "special trade" because it also includes imports of goods to (customs) warehouses and exports from (customs) warehouses. As "special trade" includes transfers of goods from (customs) warehouses into free circulation, these movements of goods have to be deducted according to the "general trade" concept in national accounts.
Another difference between national accounts and foreign trade statistics consists in the treatment of transport and insurance services.
Foreign trade statistics record the value of the goods at the time they cross the German border. So the imports contain the costs of transportation and insurance incurred between the border of the exporting country and the German border (cif concept). In national accounts, the value of imports and exports is measured according to the fob concept, that is, as the value at the border of the exporting country. Therefore, the value of imports of goods in national accounts is smaller than the value of imports in foreign trade statistics because it does not contain fees for transport and insurance services. If these services are provided by foreign transporters, they are recorded in national accounts as service imports.
More detailed information on the conceptual changes between National Accounts and foreign trade statistics can be found in the following international sources: International Merchandise Trade Statistics: Concepts and Definitions 2010 (Annex F), European System of Accounts 2010.