General Information

Number of Digits
Trade statistics are organized using various numerical coding systems.  The longer the string of digits, the greater the degree of specificity of the commodity.  One or two digit numbers represent greatly aggregated data for broad categories of commodities.  Seven or ten digit numbers represent fairly specific commodities.

Systems in Use
The two main systems in use today for international trade statistics are the Harmonised System (HS) and the Standard International Trade Classification (SITC).  Before the United States adopted HS in 1989, some of its published data was organized according to the Tariff Schedules of the United States of America (TSUSA), so this system might be needed for doing some historical research.

Revisions
These codes schemes are occasionally revised. You should be aware of the revision being used for the data that you're studying and use the appropriate revision of the code book.

Indexes and Keyword Searching
Although you can get a code number quickly from the alphabetic index in the printed code books, the definitions in the actual body of the text will give you a better idea about how that commodity is being defined and show its context to other commodities.

In electronic sources, you can generally search for matching text to find commodities, without necessarily using the guides to the coding scheme.  However, knowing the numbers ahead of time and understanding how a term is used will make your search more precise and fast.

Harmonized (Harmonised) System

The latest version of the Harmonized System (HS) adopted by the United States is published by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) as the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.  You can use this guide to determine the numerical code assigned to a particular commodity; the descriptive passages can be helpful to determine the context of a particular commodity within classification. Use the alphabetical index at the end to get an idea of the code, then check that number in the main body of the text to verify its definition and understand how it's being used. This goes to the 10-digit level of detail.

You can also simply do a text search in an the electronic databases, but then you don't necessarily always fully understand the relationships between various commodities.

Paper: Perkins/Bostock Reference U.S.:  ITC 1.10: 

Web access: ITC web site

SITC (Standard International Trade Classification)

Published by the United Nations as the Commodity Indexes for the Standard International Trade Classification.  Tends to be not quite as detailed as the Harmonized System.  As with the Harmonized Schedules, use the alphabetical index at the back of the second volume to get an idea of the code, then check that number in the main body of the text to verify its definition and understand how it's being used.  Use the Revision appropriate to the particular series. The books go to the 5-digit level and can help determine a broad category of commodity. Some of the data sources are more detailed.

You can also simply do a text search in the electronic databases, but then you don't necessarily always fully understand the relationships between various commodities.

Paper (in Perkins/Bostock Library)

Revision 3 (1994): Reference U.N. ST/ESA/STAT/Ser.M/38/Rev.3 v.1-2
Revision 2 (1981): Reference U.N. ST/ESA/STAT/Ser.M/38/Rev.2 v.1-2
Revised (1961): Docs. U.N. ST/ESA/STAT/Ser.M/38 v.1-2

Web access:

The following represent SITC revision 3, which will differ slightly from SITC 2 that is used in some databases, such as the World Trade Analyzer.  The Revision 2 book (above) is the definitive source for those databases.

UN Statistics Division SITC Rev. 3 Allows the user to drill down or to perform various text or numerical searches. Also, cross references between SITC Rev. 3 and the Harmonised system (near bottom of the page).

The U.N. also has a provisional version of SITC Rev. 4.

SITC listing from the US Census Bureau's Foreign Trade Division.

TSUSA (Tariff Schedule of the United States of America)

Used by the United States before its adoption of the Harmonized Schedules.  Data through 1988 was disseminated using both SITC and TSUSA categorizations. You must refer to the following book to use any source using TSUSA categories.  Once you have a Harmonized Class, use the second half of the following book to cross reference from the 8-digit Harmonized class to a 7-digit TSUSA class.  This is only approximate, but you can figure out the context when you look in the data sources.

Paper: Continuity of Import and Export Trade Statistics After Implementation of the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding Systems.  Perkins/Bostock Reference U.S.:  ITC 1.12: 332-250