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Calculator · trade

Trade unit value calculator

Divides a reported trade value by the quantity reported for the same flow, giving that flow’s unit value.

As reported, in nominal currency. No deflation and no exchange-rate conversion is applied.

Required

Carried to the output as a label. No exchange rate is applied and no currency is converted.

An absent quantity is not zero — a flow with no reported quantity has no unit value at all.

Required

Recorded alongside the result so the figure travels with the flow it came from.

Reporters revise both value and quantity, so a unit value belongs to a vintage.

Result

Enter values to see a result.

Formula & assumptions

Trade unit value

formula v1.0.0 · calc v1 · reviewed 2026-07-16

Unit value = trade value ÷ quantity

Applies to: Reported trade statistics where a value and a quantity are published for one flow.

Assumptions

  • The value and the quantity describe the SAME reported flow — same reporter, partner, item, year, and direction.

Limitations

  • A UNIT VALUE IS NOT A PRICE. It is an arithmetic average of a reported aggregate, which may span many grades, origins, destinations, contract types, delivery terms, and transaction dates. No transaction need have occurred at this figure.
  • Import and export unit values for the same flow differ systematically: reported import values commonly include freight and insurance while export values commonly do not, so the two are not comparable without knowing the valuation basis.
  • Both value and quantity are revised by reporters, and mirror flows disagree. A unit value inherits every one of those problems and compounds them by dividing.
  • An absent quantity is not zero. A flow with no reported quantity has no unit value at all, and treating the gap as zero would produce an infinite or nonsense figure.
  • Nominal currency as reported, not deflated and not FX-converted.

Scope

Not a market price, quotation, valuation, or basis for a transaction, a customs value, or an investment decision. Customs valuation in particular is a legal determination made by the competent authority under its own rules.

Sources: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (opens in a new tab), United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) (opens in a new tab), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) (opens in a new tab)

About this tool

  • A unit value is not a price. It is an arithmetic average of a reported aggregate that may span many grades, origins, destinations, contract types, delivery terms, and transaction dates. No transaction need have occurred at this figure.
  • Import and export unit values for the same flow differ systematically: reported import values commonly include freight and insurance while export values commonly do not, so the two are not comparable without knowing the valuation basis.
  • The value and the quantity must describe the same reported flow — same reporter, partner, item, year, and direction. Nothing here checks that they do.
  • Currency is a label only. No exchange-rate conversion and no deflation is applied, so unit values in different currencies or different years are not comparable as they stand.
  • The unit of the result follows the units entered, and those are yours to keep consistent: value in thousands over quantity in thousands is a per-unit figure, not a per-thousand one.

Educational reference — not a prescription

Not a market price, quotation, valuation, or basis for a transaction, a customs value, or an investment decision. Customs valuation in particular is a legal determination made by the competent authority under its own rules.

  • These calculators are for education and reference. The quality of any result depends entirely on the accuracy of the values you enter.
  • Local agronomic conditions, legal requirements, product labels, and professional advice may override a general calculation.
  • Results are not pesticide, fertilizer, irrigation, or veterinary prescriptions, and are not a substitute for advice from a qualified agronomist or your local extension service.