Question:
I am a registered user of UN Comtrade and noticed that when selecting commodity classifications on the platform, only “HS as reported” and “SITC LTS” appear as options. What are the differences? And why not the complete set the SITC revisions even though there are options in the UI S1[62-99] S2[76-00] S3[88-09] S4[07-…]
Answer:
Thank you for your inquiry. Here’s some clarification regarding SITC classification availability on the UN Comtrade platform:
What is “SITC LTS” #
The SITC LTS (Long Time Series) option is a consolidated classification that merges multiple SITC revisions (Rev.1 to Rev.4) into one. This approach was adopted to optimize storage and performance in the main database, ensuring broad coverage while minimizing redundancy. As a result, individual SITC revisions (S1, S2, S3, S4) are no longer displayed in the user interface. You can see this as the “HS as reported” which combines all data regardless the original reported HS editions while ensuring uniqueness (no duplicate records).
Why the SITC revisions are not in the database #
To optimize the storage and cost, only the most frequently accessed data is stored in the database, and the rest is stored in bulk files (gzip files). Therefore, even though it is not accessible from Data API, full set of SITC revisions can be downloaded from Bulk API.
Accessing specific SITC revisions in UI #
Only selected SITC revisions are available in UI or data API. For example:
- SITC Rev.1 for 1991:
https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/A/S1?period=1991 - SITC Rev.2 for 1988:
https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/A/S2?period=1988
By selecting SITC LTS, users receive a combination of available records from SITC1 through SITC4. This improves data coverage in a single query. For example, for the year 1988, the number of reporting countries per classification is as follows:
| Classification | Reporters in 1988 |
|---|---|
| SITC LTS | 108 |
| SITC Rev.1 | 105 |
| SITC Rev.2 | 99 |
| SITC Rev.3 | 37 |
| SITC Rev.4 | 0 |
Additional options for premium users #
If you are a premium subscriber, you have access to comprehensive historical classification datasets (including SITC Rev.1 to Rev.4, and BEC Rev.4 and 5) across all available years (e.g., SITC Rev.1 from 1962–2024). These are available as bulk downloadable files or via the premium API.
Summary #
- No additional permissions are needed to access SITC revisions
- You can retrieve specific SITC revision data through the UI/API.
- For broader SITC coverage, use SITC LTS in the web interface or data API.
- Premium users can download full datasets or use the premium API for extensive historical data.
For further assistance with API queries or bulk data access, please refer to our Developer Portal or contact our support team at comtrade@un.org.
