For users’ convenience, UN Comtrade provides the data in the original classification in which it is provided and converted to earlier HS versions and other trade classifications. It should be noted that the very nature of a revision of classification does not allow establishing a clear 1:1 correspondence for all codes of a new to the codes of previous versions of a classification, and users should bear in mind the potential shortcomings when using converted instead of original data. A detailed note of the methodology used for developing the data conversions and correlation and conversion tables is available here.

Conversion of classification for merchandise trade statistics: All countries follow recommendations to report their detailed merchandise trade data according to the Harmonized System (HS). To provide comparable time series statistics in UN Comtrade for all countries, the data reported in the latest HS classification is converted into earlier editions of the HS, and to corresponding or earlier versions of the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC). The latest edition of the HS classification was its seventh and was released in 2022. In addition, statistics according to SITC, Rev.3 is available for long time series.

Conversion of classification for trade in services statistics: Many countries have progressively been transitioning from EBOPS 2002 to EBOPS 2010 classification (corresponding to the BPM5 and BPM6 recommendations, respectively); however, some countries still provide data in EBOPS 2002. Most data before 2012 are available only in EBOPS 2002. To present more extended time series (covering the period 2009-2022) and comparable statistics across countries and period, data in EBOPS 2002 classification have been converted based on the IMF’s BPM5-to-BPM6 Conversion Matrix (available at http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/bop/2008/08-10b.pdf).

Converting data from EBOPS 2002 to EBOPS 2010 is feasible for most main components when detailed data are provided, however some inconsistencies still exist especially regarding the difference between BPM5 and BPM6 frameworks. That is, conversion from EBOPS 2002 to EBOPS 2010 may be imperfect depending on the reported level of detail by country and service categories. The main changes in the classification of services include the treatment of manufacturing services, merchanting, and Financial intermediation services indirectly measured (FISIM). In particular, (a) data on manufacturing services on physical inputs owned by others is not available, (b) data on maintenance and repair services n.i.e. is also not available, (c) transport services are underestimated when postal and courier services are not separately available, (d) financial services are underestimated when FISIM data are not separately available, (e) telecommunications, computer, and information services are underestimated when telecommunication services are not separately available, and (f) other business services are overestimated (i.e. includes merchanting) when other trade-related services; operational leasing services; and miscellaneous business, professional, and technical services are not separately available.