National Trade Data Bank

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Introduction | Accessing | Searching | Search Results | Managing Search Results | Search Tips 

Introduction

National Trade Data Bank provides current and historical trade-related releases, international market research, trade opportunities, country analysis, and the trade library. Also, GLOBUS (Global Business Opportunities) offers daily trade leads from the Trade Opportunities Program (TOPS), as well as the Department of Agriculture. GLOBUS also offers daily procurement activity from the Defense Logistics Agency, the United Nations, and the Commerce Business Daily leads. Historical trade leads are available for up to three months. Historical TOPS leads are provided for up to two years. The NTDB (National Trade Data Bank) provides access to Country Commercial Guides, Market Research reports, Best Market reports and other programs. The International Trade Library is a comprehensive collection of over 40,000 documents related to international trade. Students can also find these types of information in the Globus NTDB database. -executive summaries -trade regulations and standards -import tariffs and regulations -market research -business travel This lesson describes how to find: market and country reserach, foreign exchange rates, country comerical guides, and country background notes. Lets get started.

Accessing

This database may be accessed from the Databases page of the Electronic Resources section of the NSU Alvin Sherman Library website. For more on how to access databases visit http://www.nova.edu/library/dils/lessons/electroniclibrary/ Opening screen of STAT-USA. To enter National Trade Data Bank click in the botton right hand side of the screen, on the orange and black icon that says GLOBUS & NTDB. NTDB icon and description.

Searching

The NTDB screen has one main yellow toolbar accross the top for searching. Don't forget to scroll down the page to see the entire screen. This database offers a lot more than meets the first screen! First screen in NTDB. Lets start with the toolbar across the top. Use Quicksearch to find information. Try typing in a countries name such as China as is displayed here. QuickSearch for China in yellow toolbar. Next to the right of our entry China, choose a database to search. There are a lot of choices from Agricultural Trade Leads to Trade Opportunity Program. For this example select Agricultural Trade Leads. View of the dropdown menu box in the toolbar. The last box to select from is the date field. There are two choices one for past information and one for current. Leave the dropdown menu box set to current and click search. Date field in the toolbar.

Search Results

The results for our search on China in the Agricultural Trade Leads database are displayed. To view results simply click on a blue underlined link. Click on the very first article listed: AG 06/04 OIL, FISH (China, Peoples Republic of). Articles on China from the Agricultural Trade Leads database. The article displays as follows.

Managing Search Results

Databases typically allow you to manage your search results by marking or tagging records to select only the records that you want from your search results from later printing, emailing and/or saving printing the search results list and/or specific records emailing the search results list and/or specific records to your email address saving the search results list and/or specific records–some databases may allow you to save your file for export into commercial bibliographic citation manager software, such as EndNote or ProCite Not all search management features are available in all databases. Printing To print the data use "ctrl p" from your keyboard or use your browser's print button. Return to opening screen of the NTDB by clicking home in the upper right hand corner of the article you are viewing.

Search Tips

Main Menu How to find the main menu from an article. If you get lost in any section just return to the main menu and start again. Lets see what other types of information this database offers. Next scroll down the main screen to the Market and Country Research section which is on the right. Notice the types of information available.   Commercial Guides Click on Country Commercial Guides at the bottom of the Market and Country Research List.. A small section of the main NTDB screen. Now that you have chosen Country and Commercial Guides you can search in either two ways. Type the country name in the QuickSearch box and click Go Search, or simply select a country from the list below the yellow toolbar. Selecting a country in Country and Commercial Guides.   Current Exchange Rates Click the Home button in the upper left hand corner of the above screen. Lets return to the main menu of Globus & National Trade Data Bank and look at another type of information, exchange rates. Look at the right hand side of your screen and find Current Exchange Rates in orange text. Exchange rates are updated daily. Click on the blue underline link to see the current rates. Current Exchange Rates in NTDB. Country Background Notes Also from the main page at the bottom, on the right is a section called Other. This section contains Country Background Notes. To view the notes click on the link entitled Country Background Notes. View of the "Other" section from the main screen of NTDB. Below is the Country Background Notes Display. To view the desired country simply scroll to your choice and click on the blue underlined link. For this example scroll to Background Notes: China, and then click. Alphabetical listing of Background Notes. Below are the opening results for the lookup of Background Notes on China. Continue scrolling down the screen to view the entire file. Background Notes on China from NTDB. To print these results use your keyboard command "ctrl p" or use your browser's print button. Congratulations! You finished this lesson!