OpenBB-finance/OpenBB · error · OpenBBError

Minimum start_date is 2019-01-01. Got {values['start_date']}

Error message

Minimum start_date is 2019-01-01. Got {values['start_date']} instead.

What it means

Raised by the model_validator(mode='before') on ImfPortVolumeQueryParams because the IMF PortWatch (DPL) daily port activity dataset only starts on 2019-01-01. Any non-None start_date earlier than that date is rejected up front rather than silently returning empty data. The supplied date is echoed back in the message.

Source

Thrown at openbb_platform/providers/imf/openbb_imf/models/port_volume.py:166

                new_values.append(list(port_id_map.keys())[idx])
            else:
                raise ValueError(
                    f"Invalid port_code: {item}. Must be a valid port ID or name.Available options: {port_id_choices}."
                )

        if not new_values:
            raise ValueError("No valid port_code provided.")

        return ",".join(new_values)

    @model_validator(mode="before")
    @classmethod
    def validate_model(cls, values):
        """Validate the model before instantiation."""
        if values.get("start_date") is not None and values["start_date"] < dateType(
            2019, 1, 1
        ):
            raise OpenBBError(
                ValueError(
                    f"Minimum start_date is 2019-01-01. Got {values['start_date']} instead."
                )
            )
        if not values.get("port_code") and not values.get("country"):
            values["port_code"] = "port1114"

        return values


class ImfPortVolumeData(PortVolumeData):
    """IMF Port Volume Data Model."""

    model_config = ConfigDict(
        extra="ignore",
        json_schema_extra={
            "x-widget_config": {
                "$.description": (

View on GitHub (pinned to 3e071fcc2c)

Solutions

Set start_date to 2019-01-01 or later (or omit it entirely to accept the provider default).
Clamp the requested window: start_date = max(requested_start, date(2019,1,1)).
If older data is required, use a different provider for port activity; IMF PortWatch cannot serve pre-2019 data.

Example fix

# before
start = date(2015, 1, 1)
params = {'provider': 'imf', 'start_date': start}

# after
start = max(date(2015, 1, 1), date(2019, 1, 1))  # -> date(2019,1,1)
params = {'provider': 'imf', 'start_date': start}

Defensive patterns

Strategy: validation

Validate before calling

from datetime import date
MIN_START = date(2019, 1, 1)
if start_date is not None and start_date < MIN_START:
    start_date = MIN_START  # or raise your own error
assert start_date is None or start_date >= MIN_START

Try / catch

try:
    res = await obb.economy.port_volume(provider='imf', start_date=start)
except OpenBBError as e:
    if 'Minimum start_date is 2019-01-01' in str(e):
        start = date(2019, 1, 1)
        res = await obb.economy.port_volume(provider='imf', start_date=start)

Prevention

Clamp requested start dates to date(2019,1,1) before any IMF port call.
Set min=2019-01-01 on date pickers bound to this endpoint.
Remember the floor applies to the model validator AND the fetcher — no code path accepts earlier dates.

When it happens

Trigger: obb.economy.port_volume(provider='imf', start_date='2018-06-01') or any datetime.date before 2019-01-01 passed to the IMF port volume router; also reusing a global default start_date (e.g. 5 years back from today when today is before 2024) configured for other providers.

Common situations: Notebooks that set a fixed historical window; date pickers with no min-date constraint; switching an existing script from another provider (e.g. another source with longer history) to provider='imf' without adjusting dates.

Related errors

AI-assisted analysis of OpenBB-finance/OpenBB@3e071fcc2c (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/ec822790f3b790b1. Report an issue: GitHub.