Customs data

Customs data comes from declarations filed with customs authorities when goods are imported or exported. It is the most detailed view of trade: national product codes, declared values, quantities, origin and, in some countries, the importer or exporter. Importers, exporters, trade finance teams and analysts use it to benchmark prices, monitor competitors and find trading partners.

Typical fields

• Declaration date and customs office
• National tariff code (8 to 10 digits) and description
• Declared value, currency and valuation basis
• Quantity, unit and net weight
• Country of origin, destination and transport mode
• Importer or exporter name, where published
• Duties paid, in some countries

Sources and collection

A small number of countries, mainly in Latin America, publish declaration-level files, some with party names and some anonymized. Most countries treat declarations as confidential and release only aggregated statistics. India restricts publication of import and export information under section 135AA of the Customs Act, so named Indian records are not accepted on DataStoa. Providers should document the official source and legal basis for every country they cover.

Delivery and pricing

Customs data is delivered as files or through search platforms, usually monthly. Price reflects the number of countries, history depth and whether party names are included.

Before you buy

• Ask for the official source and legal basis per country.
• Check whether party names are included, masked or vary by country.
• Confirm tariff code depth and how national codes map to HS 6-digit codes.
• Check the update lag after the declaration date.
• Ask how units and currencies are normalized.
• Treat this as general information, not legal advice.