About the Trade Survey for Wales

The survey is commissioned by the Welsh Government and is the only Wales-specific source of data on how businesses trade goods and services within the UK and internationally.

The results help us understand how the Welsh economy is connected to the rest of the UK and the world. They also provide essential evidence that allow us to map supply chains, understand how different sectors interact, and assess how changes in trade patterns may affect businesses in Wales.

The findings are used to:

• improve economic and trade statistics for Wales
• support modelling of Wales’ economy, including how different sectors interact with each other
• inform decisions on business support and other trade-related policy

Around 8,000 businesses have been selected from the Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR), a UK register of VAT- and PAYE- registered businesses.

Businesses have been invited to take part based on factors such as:  

• the size of their workforce
• the industry they operate in
• the need to ensure a representative range of businesses across Wales

The IDBR register is maintained by the Office for National Statistics and is used for statistical purposes only.

The Trade Survey for Wales collects high-level information on:

• businesses’ sales and purchases of goods and services
• where these trade flows occur (within Wales, elsewhere in the UK, and internationally)

Businesses selected to take part are asked to provide exact figures where possible. If these are unavailable, informed estimates are acceptable.

Selected businesses can still complete the survey even if they: 

• had no sales or purchases between 1 January and 31 December 2024 
• are in administration or receivership
• operate in Wales but are headquartered elsewhere

Most businesses complete the survey in under 25 minutes. It may take longer depending on:

• if the business sells a wide range of products
• the Welsh-based operations trade with multiple UK or international regions
• the business needs time to gather sales and purchases information (the survey is quicker to complete if this information is ready beforehand)

We ask for information from the 2024 calendar year (1 January to 31 December 2024). If these figures are difficult to access, respondents may provide information for the 2024 to 2025 financial year instead.

We use the information you provide only for statistical and research purposes. No information that identifies individual businesses will ever be published, and we do not share your data for commercial or marketing purposes. 

A small amount of information may be shared securely with approved research partners under strict controls, but never in a way that identifies you or your business.

Full details on how your data is collected, stored and used, including your rights under UK GDPR, are available in the Trade Survey for Wales privacy notice.

The survey is delivered by IFF Research, an independent research organisation working on behalf of the Welsh Government. 

IFF Research follows the Market Research Society’s Code of Conduct.

IFF Research received business contact details securely from the Welsh Government. All information is handled in line with: 

• section 39 of the Statistics and Registration Services Act 2007 
• the Code of Practice for Statistics.

It is an offence for the Welsh Government to disclose details relating to an individual business. No identifiable business data will ever appear in published statistics.

For businesses completing the survey who need support, contact the Trade Survey for Wales team at IFF Research (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm):

• Telephone: 0300 0259 000
• Email: TSW@IFFResearch.com

Respondents can help improve future surveys by completing the feedback section in the online questionnaire or emailing the Welsh Government’s Trade Analysis team at BusinessResearch@gov.wales.