Sao Tome Trade Data

Q1: What is Sao Tome and Principe customs data?

Sao Tome and Principe customs data covers the import trade records published by Sao Tome and Principe Customs. Each record is one complete customs declaration line and contains the parties, the product, the shipment route and the declared values.

Sample record: LAMPS (HS 9405110000, 202608) shipped from Portugal (PT) to Sao Tome and Principe, 7 Kg net weight, USD 69.3 declared value.

Q2: What are the unique advantages of Sao Tome and Principe data?

Core features of this data set:
   1. Portuguese-language fields: descriptions are stored in the original language (e.g. CANDEEIROS)
   2. local-currency price fields (STN): amount, weight-unit price and quantity-unit price (e.g. 1,465)
   3. duty and valuation fields: Foreign-currency FOB contract amount 50; FOB USD 57.75 (unit 8.25028); foreign-currency FO
   4. contract value fields: 60 EUR beside the customs value

Q3: How frequently is the data updated?

The data is refreshed monthly and supports historical backtracking. The sample record is for month 202608 with a clearance date of 2026/8/31, declaration No. 210080.

Q4: How should the Portuguese-language product fields be used?

Portuguese is used in local trade documents, so the product text is stored in the original language:
   - Portuguese product name: CANDEEIROS
   - Detailed product name: LAMPS
   - Use: search with Portuguese keywords instead of English ones, and reuse the official wording on invoices and customs paperwork to avoid classification disputes

Q5: Which currencies and value fields does Sao Tome and Principe data provide?

Multiple value systems are provided:
   USD: amount 69.3, weight-unit price 9.90034, quantity-unit price 69.30239
   CNY: total amount 467, weight-unit price 66.68736
   Dobra (STN): amount 1,465, weight-unit price 209.2316, quantity-unit price 1,464.6212
   contract value: 60 EUR, unit price 8.57143

Q6: What is HS code 9405110000 in this data set?

HS code 9405110000 corresponds to LAMPS:
   - Code product description: -
   - Detailed product name: LAMPS
   - Sub-industry: Furniture
   - Industry: Others

   In this sample the goods were declared by Importer: DOMINGOS DAIO AFONSO FERNANDES.

Q7: What do the weight and quantity fields mean?

Weight and quantity fields are recorded separately, and unit prices are derived from each basis:
   - Gross weight: 7 Kg
   - Net weight: 7 Kg (= 0.007 metric ton)
   - Quantity: 1 Number (or unit) (Numero (ou unidade))
   - Take care: compare unit prices only on the same basis - weight-unit prices and quantity-unit prices are not interchangeable

Q8: How do I use Sao Tome and Principe data to develop buyers?

Steps:
   1. Filter records where the importer is in Sao Tome and Principe and the HS code matches your product line
   2. De-duplicate buyers by importer company code
   3. Grade each buyer by purchase frequency and value (month, USD amount)
   4. Look at which exporter they currently buy from, then pitch the same category

   Sample application: DOMINGOS DAIO AFONSO FERNANDES (109319805) imported LAMPS from Portugal (PT), so similar products can be pitched to the same buyer profile.

Q9: How do I build a pricing or cost model with this data?

Steps:
   1. Extract the value fields: USD amount 69.3 and USD weight-unit price 9.90034; local-currency amount 1,465 STN; CNY amount 467; contract value 60 EUR
   2. Note the Incoterms (sample: not stated) to know which cost elements are inside the declared value
   3. Add duty and tax from the tax fields (Foreign-currency FOB contract amount 50; FOB USD 57.75 (unit 8.25028); foreign-currency FOB unit price 7.14286) to move from customs value to landed cost
   4. Recalculate margin in the currency you actually settle in

   Sample application: "LAMPS" declared under HS 9405110000, 7 Kg, origin Portugal (PT).

Q10: How do I screen clearance channels and logistics routes?

Steps:
   1. Group records by customs broker / agent, customs agent, or logistics company (Navegacao Agencia Internacional-NAI)
   2. Count declaration volume and total net weight handled by each one
   3. Review the customs office and port used (sample: Alfândega Porto São Tomé / -)
   4. Prioritize the brokers who already clear your product category

   Sample application: this declaration was cleared through Navegacao Agencia Internacional-NAI.

Q11: How do I analyse import trends with Sao Tome and Principe data?

Analysis dimensions:
   1. Time: aggregate month, USD amount, net weight and record count using the month and clearance date fields
   2. Origin: compare country of origin and exporter country shares
   3. Product: rank HS codes, sub-industry and industry by value
   4. Channel: compare customs offices, ports and brokers to see how flows split

   Sample application: the sample is a 202608 record (import), HS 9405110000, which can be used as one data point in a monthly trend line.

Q12: How do I screen price anomalies and audit declared value?

Screening method:
   1. Compare the line-level unit price (USD weight-unit price 9.90034) with the same-indicator distribution on the same HS code
   2. Check weight consistency (net weight 7 Kg against the declaration-level weight where available)
   3. Flag records whose values are reported as 0 or whose duty is fully exempted, and exclude them from price averages
   4. Manually review outliers that deviate far from the category median

   Sample: Foreign-currency FOB contract amount 50; FOB USD 57.75 (unit 8.25028); foreign-currency FOB unit price 7.14286.