The Data Source Selection screen (see Figure A) is your first stop after choosing “Click here to access the trade data” on USA Trade Online’s homepage. This is where you select an initial table format. Although there are a number of formats listed (eleven for imports and the same number for exports), you aren’t bound to the default settings of a particular table. Using your Selection Criteria and other Report Features, you can manipulate the rows and columns to create your desired table format. A word of caution though: you won’t be able to switch to exports (merchandise going out of the United States to foreign countries) if you initially select one of the import tables (arrivals of merchandise to the United States from foreign countries). First, figure out whether you want to look at imports or exports and then take a guess at the table format you want. We recommend beginners select one of the Standard Report (Monthly, Annual, or Cumulative Year-to-Date or "YTD") options, and test the additional formats (which have pre-selected data dimensions) when you’re more acclimated with the site.

As previously mentioned, all reports in the same folder (imports or exports) take you to the same database; only the default settings change. See below for a brief description of each report type, followed by Table 1 which provides the default settings of all the various report options for non-port data. Table 2, which follows it, provides the default settings for the port-level data.

Standard Report – Monthly Imports/Exports

View the value and quantity for a commodity (or commodities) for the five most current months. The results can be sorted by value (as well as by quantity at the ten-digit level) and regenerated by commodity, country, customs district area, measure, and/or time options using the Selection Criteria listed on the left side of your report screen.

Standard Report – Annual Imports/Exports

View the value and quantity for a commodity (or commodities) for the four most current years and current YTD. The results can be sorted by value (as well as by quantity at the ten-digit level) and regenerated by commodity, country, customs district area, measure, and/or time options using the Selection Criteria listed on the left side of your report screen.

Standard Report – Cumulative YTD Imports/Exports

View the value and quantity for a commodity (or commodities) for the most recent YTD aggregation and the three prior years' YTD aggregations, as well as the growth rate between the oldest and newest YTD totals. The results can be sorted by value (as well as by quantity at the ten-digit level) and regenerated by commodity, country, customs district area, measure, and/or time options using the Selection Criteria listed on the left side of your report screen.

Trade by Commodity – Imports/Exports

Use this report to show U.S. imports or exports of any of the over 18,000 commodities over time in a specific market. In the default view, you will view the value, quantity, and unit price for all commodities in all markets for the most recent and previous month, current and previous year's YTD aggregates, and four previous years (current year is excluded), as well as comparable month, comparable YTD, and four-year percent changes. The results can be regenerated by commodity, country, customs district area, measure, and/or time options using the Selection Criteria listed on the left side of your report screen.

Commodity Market Ranking – Imports/Exports

This popular report is used to determine the top markets for a commodity. You choose the commodity (or commodities) you want to analyze and the system returns values in the current month in this and the previous year (with a percentage change between them), the current and previous year's YTD aggregates (with a percentage change between them), and four previous years (current year is excluded). You can also use the Selection Criteria and Report Features to further specify the information you need.

• Analyzing at the ten-digit HS level? If so, take note of the following shortcut: Once you're viewing a report in this data source, you can use the small arrows above your Commodity Market Ranking report to toggle your view between the three available measurement options (value, quantity, and unit price).

Commodity Profile – Imports/Exports

View the value, quantity, and unit price of a particular commodity (or commodities) by country for the most recent month, current YTD, and previous YTD. The results are automatically sorted in descending order by value for the most recent month, but can easily be sorted by the various time periods or growth rates available. Note: Quantity and unit price detail are only available at the ten-digit HS level.

Commodity Time Series – Imports/Exports

This report provides a four-year annual history of the value, quantity, and unit price for a commodity (or commodities) by country. The results are automatically sorted in descending order by value for the previous year, but can easily be sorted by any of the three previous years. Note: Quantity and unit price detail are only available at the ten-digit HS level.

Country by Commodity – Imports/Exports

Used to analyze value changes over time of a specific commodity and country. The results can be sorted by value and quantity for the most current month, cumulative data for the current calendar year, and cumulative data for the previous year’s corresponding timeframe.

• Analyzing at the ten-digit HS level? If so, take note of the following shortcut: Once you're viewing a report in this data source, you can use the small arrows above your Country by Commodity report to toggle your view between the three available measurement options (value, quantity, and unit price).

Monthly Port-level -- Imports/Exports

View the value and shipping weight for a commodity (or commodities) for the five most current months at the port level. The results can be sorted by value or shipping weight and regenerated by commodity, country, port, measure, and/or time options using the Selection Criteria listed on the left side of your report screen.

Annual Port-level -- Imports/Exports

View the value and shipping weight for a commodity (or commodities) for the (eventually) four most current years and current YTD at the port level. The results can be sorted by value or shipping weight and regenerated by commodity, country, port, measure, and/or time options using the Selection Criteria listed on the left side of your report screen. Note that port-level data only goes back to 2003.

Cumulative YTD Port-level -- Imports/Exports

View the value and shipping weight for a commodity (or commodities) for the most recent YTD aggregation and the (eventually) three prior years' YTD aggregations, as well as the growth rate between the oldest and newest YTD totals. The results can be sorted by value or shipping weight and regenerated by commodity, country, port, measure, and/or time options using the Selection Criteria listed on the left side of your report screen. Note that port-level data only goes back to 2003.

Report Type	Default Commodity	Default Country	Default Measures	Default Time
Standard Report - Monthly	No commodity detail	All including World Total	Value and quantity	Last five individual months
Standard Report - Annual	No commodity detail	All including World Total	Value and quantity	Current YTD, last four full years
Standard Report - Cumulative YTD	No commodity detail	All including World Total	Value and quantity	Last four years of YTD, oldest to newest YTD % growth
Trade by Commodity	All 2-digit plus Total	All including World Total	Value, quantity and unit price	Current month, prior month, prior to current month % growth, YTD current year, YTD prior year, YTD prior to YTD current year % growth, last four full years, oldest to newest year % growth
Commodity Market Ranking	None	All except World Total	None	Current month, prior month, prior to current month % growth, YTD current year, YTD prior year, YTD prior to YTD current year % growth, last four full years, oldest to newest year % growth
Commodity Profile	None	All except World Total	Value, quantity and unit price	Current month, YTD current year, YTD prior year
Commodity Time Series	None	All except World Total	Value, quantity and unit price	Last four full years
Country by Commodity	All 2-digit plus Total	All including World Total	None	Current month, prior month, prior to current month % growth, YTD current year, YTD prior year, YTD prior to YTD current year % growth, last four full years, oldest to newest year % growth

Table 2
Brief Overview of USA Trade Online's Default Report Settings for port-level data

Report Type	Default Ports	Default Commodity	Default Country	Default Measures	Default Time
Monthly	Total All Ports	All 2-digit (no Total)	World Total	Total value, Vessel value, Vessel SWT, Air value, Air SWT	Last five individual months
Annual	Total All Ports	All 2-digit (no Total)	World Total	Total value, Vessel value, Vessel SWT, Air value, Air SWT	Current YTD, last four full years (Note: Data available from 2003 forward)
Cumulative YTD	Total All Ports	All 2-digit (no Total)	World Total	Total value, Vessel value, Vessel SWT, Air value, Air SWT	Last four years of YTD, oldest to newest YTD % growth (Note: Data available from 2003 forward)