Using linked goods trade microdata to support evidence-based trade policy
Case study details
| Metadata item | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication date: | 9 September 2026 |
| Owner: | Office for National Statistics (ONS) |
| Contact: | SRS.Impact@ons.gov.uk |
The changing trade landscape
In recent years, the trading environment faced by UK firms has changed significantly. Disruptions to global supply chains, increasing geopolitical uncertainty, and the increasing use of tariffs are all significant challenges to trading firms. For policymakers to develop effective interventions it is essential that they understand how firms:
- respond to these challenges
- identify barriers to trade
- assess opportunities for growth
Published trade statistics provide important information about the value and composition of UK goods trade. However, many policy questions also require a detailed understanding of how changes in the trading environment impact business with different characteristics, such as size, age, trading experience and the amount they trade.
Use of linked trade and business microdata
To address the need for more granular data, analysts at the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) use Linked Trade in Goods/Inter-Departmental Business Register (TiG-IDBR) microdata within the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Secure Research Service (SRS). The linked dataset combines customs-based goods trade information with business characteristics, providing a unique source of evidence on UK trading firms and enabling insights not available in aggregate trade statistics, including the ability to:
- identify characteristics of firms most affected by specific trade frictions and assessing how impacts vary across firm groups
- explore how firms adjust their trading behaviour in response to changes in the trading environment
- analyse trader dynamics, including firm entry, exit, persistence and churn in international markets
Supporting evidence-based trade policy
TiG-IDBR microdata strengthens the evidence base available to policymakers by providing new insights into the behaviour of UK goods trading firms. The data has been particularly valuable in improving understanding of how groups of firms with specific characteristics respond to changes in trading conditions. This has been useful in helping policymakers identify where barriers appear most acute and where policy support may be most effective.
Linking these insights to wider analytical work across government (including econometric modelling and surveys) provides a richer understanding of what affects goods trade performance and how changes in the trade landscape affect businesses.
This in turn underpins the development of policy by:
- helping decision-makers design targeted interventions
- informing the prioritisation of policy activity
- strengthening the evidence base used to evaluate the effectiveness of measures intended to support international traders
As the international trading environment continues to evolve, TiG-IDBR data is likely to play an increasingly important role in understanding how UK goods trading businesses respond to new opportunities and challenges.
About the ONS Secure Research Service
The ONS Secure Research Service is an accredited trusted research environment providing secure access to de‑identified, unpublished data following the Five Safes Framework.
If you use ONS SRS data and would like support developing a future case study, contact SRS.Impact@ons.gov.uk. Please also report outputs using the Outputs Reporting Form.
About the analysts
Oliver Wright and Phoebe Tuckett are analysts in the Services, EU and Goods Analysis (SEGA) team within the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST), formerly the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).