Data Sources & Methodology

Mercorama sources trade intelligence from government databases, international trade organisations, and statistical agencies. This page explains where our data comes from, how frequently it is updated, and how we rate its freshness.

Our Data Sources

ICC — International Chamber of Commerce
Incoterms® 2020 rules
Updated: Per ICC revision cycle (last: 2020)Coverage: 11 Incoterms® 2020 rules
iccwbo.org/business-solutions/incoterms-rules
WCO — World Customs Organization
Harmonized System (HS) nomenclature
Updated: Every 5–6 years (current: HS 2022)Coverage: HS 2022 — 5,224 subheadings
www.wcoomd.org/en/topics/nomenclature/overview/what-is-the-harmonized-system.aspx
Global Affairs Canada
Canadian FTA tariff schedules
Updated: Annual + on amendmentsCoverage: 15 FTAs · 51 partner countries
www.international.gc.ca/trade-commerce/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux
Statistics Canada
Canadian export volumes by HS chapter
Updated: MonthlyCoverage: All HS chapters · Canada
www.statcan.gc.ca
UN Comtrade
Global import demand by HS code
Updated: MonthlyCoverage: 200+ countries
comtrade.un.org
USITC
US import tariff rates (HTS)
Updated: NightlyCoverage: 35,733 HTS codes
hts.usitc.gov
CBSA
Canadian import tariff rates
Updated: Annual + retaliatory updatesCoverage: 22,461 Canadian tariff codes
www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca
EDC — Export Development Canada
Export financing & credit insurance programs
Updated: QuarterlyCoverage: Canadian exporters · global markets
www.edc.ca
BDC — Business Development Bank of Canada
Export-linked financing for SMEs
Updated: QuarterlyCoverage: Canadian SMEs
www.bdc.ca
CIFFA
Verified freight forwarder registry
Updated: AnnualCoverage: CIFFA-certified forwarders · Canada
ciffa.com
World Bank
Market risk & logistics performance indicators
Updated: AnnualCoverage: 190+ countries
www.worldbank.org

Data pipeline status and last ingestion timestamps are monitored internally and updated weekly.

How We Rate Data Freshness

Every data point in Mercorama carries a freshness badge indicating how recently it was verified against its source. The badge appears as a small coloured pill next to the data value.

🟢
Live0–7 days

Data was verified against the source within the past 7 days.

🔵
Current8–30 days

Data was verified within the past month and is still reliable for most use cases.

🟡
Aging31–60 days

Data is over a month old. Verify against the original source for time-sensitive decisions.

🟠
Stale61–90 days

Data is significantly out of date. Treat with caution and cross-reference independently.

⚪
EstimatedNo source

This value has not been verified against a live government or institutional source.

What “Estimated” Means

Some values displayed in Mercorama — particularly in the Export Compass market intelligence results — are generated by AI based on publicly available trade knowledge and patterns. These values carry an ⚪ Estimated badge.

Estimated values have not been verified against a live government or institutional data source and should be treated as directional guidance only. They may not reflect the most current tariff schedules, trade flows, or market conditions.

We are actively building data pipelines to replace estimated values with verified data from Statistics Canada, UN Comtrade, USITC, and CBSA. As each pipeline goes live, affected data points will be automatically re-tagged with their verified source and freshness level.

Reporting a Data Issue

If you spot a data discrepancy — an incorrect tariff rate, an outdated market figure, or a source that appears wrong — use the ⚑ flag icon next to any data point to report it directly to our team. No account is required to submit a flag. We review all flagged data points and notify affected users when a correction is made.