Data on mineral raw materials trade turnover – evolution of methodology

The article presents the history of collecting data on mineral raw materials export and import in Poland and balancing mineral raw materials resources. The methodology of gathering data was analyzed on the basis of the publication “The Balance of Mineral Resources Deposits in Poland”. This is the current title of the yearbook, the back issues of which are collected in the Polish Geological Institute-National Research Institute headquarters. During the last decades the institutions responsible for collecting and delivering data have changed and they were cited in the article along with the names of general editors of the publication and the authors of the chapter devoted to the exports and imports. As a result, data on mineral raw materials international trade have been presented every year. Moreover, the scope of data and the manner of their presentation were covered in the article. The information on Polish export and import of mineral raw materials has been compiled since the 1960s. Significant changes took place for more than 50 years not only within Polish but also in the world economy, and these economic conditions – the growing number of trade partners, changes in accounting for commodities or currency changes – were the main factors influencing the successive conversions of data presentations. The range of data grew significantly, the source of data altered several times and the methodology of data presentation changed a lot. Over time, there were data presented in longer hindsight and not only on exports and imports but also on the turnover balance. The balance is treated as a reflection of the domestic mineral raw materials sector and of a situation in world mineral economy. Thus, tendencies in the trade turnover have been presented for the last 30 years, for export, import and balance. Graphs were also included in the article showing such changes in relation to the value and magnitude of the trade turnover for all mineral resources and for particular groups – energy, metallic, chemical and rock raw materials. The most important raw materials – in terms of affecting the total balance in Poland – were also specified in the article.