IAEA Symposium on International Safeguards

The use of trade statistics to map States’ nuclear related industrial capabilities

6 Nov 2018, 14:34

7m

Boardroom A (Vienna International Centre)

Panelist (Panel Session) Addressing Growing Safeguards Challenges (CHA) [CHA] Globalization and the Changing Supply Chain for Knowledge, Expertise and Goods

Speaker

Ms Elena Marinova (IAEA)

Description

IAEA co-authors: E. Marinova, S. Francis
EC-JRC external main author and co-authors: C. Versino, S. Cagno, G. Cojazzi

Abstract

State Evaluation Groups in the Department of Safeguards analyse safeguards relevant open source information on States’ nuclear related industrial capabilities, including the nuclear related equipment and materials they can make use of either through indigenous manufacture or import. This analysis is performed in the state evaluation process for all States with a comprehensive safeguards agreement in force.
Open source trade statistics can provide insights into the global trade flows of nuclear related equipment and materials and the underlying industrial capabilities of States as possible users or manufacturers of such goods. This paper describes preliminary results of the collaborative work between the IAEA and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission on the development and application of visualization tools to open source trade statistics to support the nuclear related industrial capability assessment in the state evaluation process. Methods for statistical trade data analysis, including the Revealed Comparative Advantage Index, were explored to determine the relative strength of States as exporters or importers of classes of commodities which are seen as indicative in the assessment of States’ nuclear related industrial infrastructure and capabilities.