Data and calculation methodology

MatQuo turns public source data and user inputs into comparable working figures. This page separates the source record, MatQuo’s calculations and MatQuo’s interpretation so each output can be checked.

Three evidence layers

Official or attributed source data

Values obtained from the named publisher, retaining the publisher’s geography, period, unit and release limitations.

MatQuo calculations

Transparent arithmetic such as value divided by net mass, currency conversion, landed-cost construction or material-weight formulas. Calculated results are labelled as estimates or unit values.

MatQuo interpretation

Explanatory context about what changed, what can be compared and what a figure may mean for a purchasing or materials decision. Interpretation is not a price assessment, forecast or recommendation.

Trade values and quantities

Trade pages use Eurostat’s Comext international-trade-in-goods data. Extra-EU means trade between EU members and non-EU partners. Product scope follows the HS or EU Combined Nomenclature codes shown on each page. Trade value and net mass are aggregated for the selected reporter, partner, flow, product and month.

The displayed customs unit value is declared statistical value ÷ net mass, normally expressed in euros per tonne. It is a weighted average across the shipments inside that selection. Imports are valued at the statistical border on a CIF basis and exports on an FOB basis. Product mix, grade mix, contract terms, partner mix, freight and revisions can all move the result. It must not be read as a spot, exchange or contract price.

Currency and market references

ECB euro reference rates provide daily currency context and are informational reference rates, not transaction quotes. EIA energy series provide dated official spot references. MatQuo does not silently substitute one frequency or geography for another.

Tariffs and customs classification

Tariff pages summarize indicative rates from the European Commission’s TARIC or Access2Markets systems and other named official tariff authorities. The applicable legal rate depends on the exact commodity code, origin, destination, date, preference eligibility and supporting documents. MatQuo’s summary is a screening tool; the official tariff service and a qualified customs adviser remain the controlling checks.

Calculators

Each calculator publishes its inputs, formula and unit conversions on the same page. Results update locally in the browser and are not sent to MatQuo. Defaults are examples, not claims about a user’s shipment or material. Typical densities, pallet weights, freight factors and emissions factors are starting points; grade data sheets, carrier rules, customs values and project-specific life-cycle data take precedence.

Paper calculations use measured grammage (GSM) for mass and user-entered caliper for wound-length geometry. Cut-sheet yield compares the two rectangular orientations; the reel-trim checker evaluates a declared pattern but does not claim an optimized production solution. Coating calculations use non-volatile content by volume: DFT = WFT × volume solids and theoretical spread = volume solids % × 10 ÷ DFT µm. Practical coating quantity applies only the loss percentage entered by the user. Container calculations use either example presets or user-entered internal dimensions and payload.

Environmental comparisons

Environmental factors retain their source year, geography, functional unit and system boundary. MatQuo does not compare incompatible units or boundaries as though they were equivalent. Cradle-to-gate production, transport and end-of-life effects remain separate. A material comparison is meaningful only when the alternatives deliver the same function and the user supplies realistic masses or dimensions.

Updates, revisions and missing data

Live and daily sources refresh when their publishers release data. Detailed Comext data normally arrives later and can be revised; pages therefore show the observation period rather than implying that the latest calendar day is covered. A missing or delayed series is shown as unavailable where practical. MatQuo does not invent a value to fill a gap.

Primary sources

• Eurostat Comext database and data definitions, release timing and revisions.
• ECB euro reference rates.
• EIA petroleum spot prices and natural-gas references.
• European Commission TARIC consultation.

Method reviewed: 20 September 2026. See editorial standards and corrections.