Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Since the collection of 2009 data, the scope of the OECD Global Insurance Statistics questionnaire has been expanded. These changes led to the collection of key balance sheet and income statement items for direct insurance and reinsurance sectors, such as: gross claims paid, outstanding claims provision (changes), gross operating expenses, commissions, total assets, gross technical provisions (of which: unit-linked), shareholder equity, net income.

The Maritime Transport Costs (MTC)database contains data from 1991 to the most recent available year of bilateral maritime transport costs. Transport costs are available for 43 importing countries (including EU15 countries as a custom union) from 218 countries of origin at the detailed commodity (6 digit) level of the Harmonized System 1988. This dataset should only be used in conjunction with the paper Clarifying Trade Costs in Maritime Transport which outlines methodology, data coverage and caveats to its use. Key Statistical Concept Import charges represent the aggregate cost of all freight, insurance and other charges (excluding import duties) incurred in bringing the merchandise from alongside the carrier at the port of export and placing it alongside the carrier at the first port of entry in the importing country. Insurance charges are therefore included in the transport cost variables and are estimated to be approximately 1.5% of the import value of the merchandise.