Importvärdets

importvärdets is a term used in Swedish economic statistics to refer to the value or monetary worth of imports during a given period. It denotes how much in money terms a country spends on goods and services that are brought in from abroad, and it is a key component in measures of trade and national accounts.

In practice, importvärdets is often reported using a customs or statistical valuation, commonly the CIF value (cost, insurance, and freight) for goods entering the country. This valuation attempts to reflect the total cost to obtain the imported goods, including freight and insurance up to the border. In some contexts, other valuation standards such as FOB (free on board) may be used, requiring adjustments to align with international or national reporting conventions. Importvärdets typically covers physical goods, while services imports are tracked separately as part of the services balance.

Data on importvärdets are collected from customs declarations and other administrative records and are published by national statistical agencies or central banks. The figures are used in balance of trade calculations, current account analysis, and as inputs in GDP calculations under the expenditure approach (net imports reduce GDP). They also help assess a country’s dependency on foreign-produced goods and the dynamics of domestic demand.

Limitations include variations in valuation methods (CIF vs. FOB), timing differences, and re-exports that can distort the apparent value of imports. Analysts often adjust for these factors when comparing over time or across countries. Related concepts include exportvärdet, handelsbalansen, and tullvärde (customs value).