Source Timing and Coverage
When is data collected, and what causes reporting lag?
Automated systems collect data from official government sources during the last week of each monthly cycle, and that data is then processed and assessed at the start of the following month, before each edition is published — a fixed schedule that keeps every edition aligned to a consistent, repeatable cutoff. That collection schedule is separate from the source-reporting lag: the gap between the period a statistic describes and the date the issuing source actually releases it. Official trade statistics are generally released one to three months after the period they describe, since governments require time to compile, validate, and publish national figures. The monthly collection cycle simply picks up whatever official data is available at its fixed cutoff; when the reporting lag means a period's official figures have not yet arrived, coverage is bridged by modeling rather than by waiting past the schedule.
How is coverage kept continuous when data is missing?
When an official source is unavailable or still lagging, internally developed mathematical models generate preliminary estimates so that coverage remains continuous, and these estimates are later replaced by final figures once the official data is released. Modeling fills two kinds of gaps this way: figures missing or delayed from an official source, and periods still awaiting release altogether. Every modeled value carries a data-status label, either Preliminary or Forecast, so an estimate is never mistaken for a settled official value — the distinction is explained in detail on the Data Status Labels page. Coverage is reviewed continuously, and any resulting change is documented in the publicly available monthly Release Notes.
What happens when a data source is discontinued?
Summary
A permanently discontinued source does not break the published series: model estimates keep coverage continuous, a substitute source is incorporated quickly under the same official-first priority, and the change is documented in the monthly Release Notes.
Unlike a source that is temporarily unavailable or lagging, a discontinued source stops publishing permanently — yet the published series does not break. Internally developed mathematical models keep coverage continuous, generating estimates that are clearly labeled Preliminary or Forecast, so a reader can always distinguish an interim estimate from a verified official value.
In parallel, a substitute source is incorporated quickly — replacing discontinued sources is one of the standing quality-assurance practices, alongside increasing the number of sources and strengthening validation procedures. The replacement follows the same selection priority as any other source: official and recognized institutions — national statistics bureaus, governmental agencies, and international multilateral organizations — come first.
The change is documented in the Intratec Release Notes, published monthly and publicly available, so the lineage of every affected series remains traceable: any user can see how and why the sourcing behind a figure changed over time.