Providers of statistical information (PSI’s) within the European Union (EU) which are involved in trade on goods with other member states are legally obliged to report trade data to the Intrastat system. Sweden joined the European Union (EU) in 2005 and has then implemented the national Intrastat system. The collection is done by using exclusion thresholds (cut off survey) in accordance with EU regulations and guidelines, which applies in all member states, although national practice differs somewhat between the countries. Before 1995 the Swedish trade data on goods to EU-member states was collecting a very large number of variables via the so-called Customs documents (Extrastat) from all the importing/exporting business (total collection). A key
purpose of the introduction of Intrastat system was to facilitate the import and export management, in particular reducing the number of collected variables, and the number of companies that have to report to Intrastat. The reporting causes a heavy burden on the PSI’s, and the collection of Intrastat data is the most comprehensive business collection at Statistics Sweden (SCB). The Intrastat system is also considered to be one of the most costly statistical surveys at SCB. The Intrastat collection represents more than 50 percent of the total response burden among business surveys that are collected at SCB. In this context, measurements of the reporting burden in the Swedish Intrastat collection have been conducted. The purpose is, besides to measure the burden, to examine what subcomponents it consists of, and to analyze how it can be reduced. Response burden is today a very topical and important area. Simplifying the procedures for the data providers has become more and more of a priority during recent years.