Mirror Trade Database V1 (1950-2014)

Version 1 of the Mirror Trade Database, covering the years 1950-2014. It contains two databases: one for dyadic (bilateral) trade, and one for monadic (country-level) trade. The databases enable researchers to adjust statistical analyses of international trade flows for mirror trade asymmetries. For all trading relationships, the dyadic database provides two mirror observations of all recorded flows, as well as a quality-weighted average of the two. We recommend checking the robustness of trade-related analyses at the bilateral level by running the analyses using either side of the mirror and the weighted average of the two. The monadic database contains estimates, for each country-year, of the aggregate value of the subset of flows that are observed twice independently by "home" and partner countries, and a derived ABBA factor indicating the size of monadic ABBA discrepancies relative to the size of the trade value. The higher the monadic ABBA factor, the lower the inferred measurement quality. Monadic ABBA factors are available for imports, exports and total trade. The databases are provided in dta and csv format. Variables are defined in the codebook. Furthermore, we provide the do-files with the STATA code that were used to generate the weighed averages and monadic ABBA values. Researchers should feel free to adapt those codes according to their own needs. The rationale of the databases and recommendations for researchers are described in more detail in the underlying journal article published in International Studies Quarterly.