The U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration has added a feature to their website that transforms complex trade and industry data into straightforward charts and graphs (all of which can be downloaded and shared). The Visual Data Center allows its user to not only see, but also explore and interact with, data both within their specified industries and across related markets. By simplifying this data into imagery, this tool will promote well-informed decision making by helping business owners better understand and effectively communicate emerging patterns and trends across markets.
The site itself is very comprehensive. Users can research by industry, country, or region. There’s also the option to search by listed topics such as Professional Business Services, or U.S. Trade Stats. Some of the industries listed include but are not limited to:
- Manufacturing
- Design and Construction, and
- Supply Chain Services
All this data can be cross analyzed with import and export features by state, material etc. In the right hands, The Visual Data Center’s potential to add insight and ingenuity to any business is exponential; and even better, its completely free.
For more information on using this tool, a (very) brief video tutorial can be viewed here.
