Classifications: The Basics

• Why code numbers?
• The hierarchy
• A word about zeroes
  • Leading zeroes
  • Trailing zeroes
• The systems we use and what's available from them
• Classifying geography: countries and districts
• Request information on a customized request
• Costs

Why code numbers?

A frequent question about trade data is, "Why do you use code numbers to classify traded goods? Can't you work off of descriptions? That would be a lot easier than trying to figure out which code my products falls under." While that might seem true, it's not. Imagine if the telephone book were reorganized by the description of the person's home instead of their last name. Instead of having to worry about the spelling of the last name, you would have to worry about the number of floors in the house, the style of architecture, building materials, color(s), type of driveway and condition of the lawn to mention only a few of the possibilities. That's six (6) search items as opposed to one (1) (the last name). Likewise, a code number is easier to search for than a description. There is no question about whether or not your description matches the description in the database.

The Hierarchy

Each classification system has multiple levels of detail (from the general to the specific). The codes with fewer digits represent groups of products. Codes with more digits that have the same first few characters as the "group" code are part of that group.

Example:

In the SITC classification system, the one digit code "7" identifies "MACHINERY AND TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT". Under "7" are many subgroups. Two such groups are codes "71" and "72" which are "POWER GENERATING MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT" and "MACHINERY SPECIALIZED FOR PARTICULAR INDUSTRIES" respectively. Both "71" and "72" have three (3) digit subgroups. This continues until you get to the most detailed level of information. For SITC codes, that's the five (5) digit level. Below is a list of five (5) digit codes under "71"

 71610 | ELECTRIC MOTORS OF AN OUTPUT NOT EXCEEDNG 37.5 W 
 71620 | ELECTRIC MOTORS OF AN OUTPUT EXCEEDING 37.5 W AND 
         GENERATORS, DC 
 71631 | ELECTRIC MOTORS OF AN OUTPUT EXCEEDING 37.5 W 
         (INCLUDING UNIVERSAL AC/DC MOTORS), AC 
 71632 | ELECTRIC GENERATORS, AC 
 71640 | ELECTRIC ROTARY CONVERTERS 
 71651 | ELECTRIC GENERATING SETS WITH INTERNAL COMBUSTION 
         PISTON ENGINES 
 71652 | ELECTRIC GENERATING SETS, N.E.S

This hierarchy holds for all classification systems used by the Foreign Trade Division of the U.S. Census Bureau.

A word about zeroes

Don't discount the value of zeroes (0) in commodity codes. If a commodity code has ten (10) digits, every digit is significant... even if they're mostly zeroes.

Leading zeroes

The SITC classification system has codes that start with zero (0).

0 | FOOD AND LIVE ANIMALS 

Some of the subgroups also start with zero (0).

00 | LIVE ANIMALS OTHER THAN FISH, CRUSTACEANS, MOLLUSCS AND
     AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES OF DIVISION 03

Consequently, there will be some five (5) digit codes that start with one (1) or more zeroes.

 00111 | PUREBRED BOVINE BREEDING ANIMALS 
 00119 | BOVINE ANIMALS, OTHER THAN PUREBRED BREEDING 
         ANIMALS, LIVE

 02410 | GRATED OR POWDERED CHEESE, OF ALL KINDS
 02420 | PROCESSED CHEESE, NOT GRATED OR POWDERED

 08111 | CEREAL STRAWS AND HUSKS, UNPREPARED, WHETHER 
         OR NOT CHOPPED, GROUND, PRESSED OR IN THE FORM 
         OF PELLETS

Some people see the leading zeroes and think they're not necessary. Consequently, a person looking to get data on "PUREBRED BOVINE BREEDING ANIMALS" will submit a data request for SITC code "111". Well, SITC code "111" is actually the three (3) digit code for "NONALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, N.E.S." Obviously, it has very little to do with "BREEDING ANIMALS".

Trailing zeroes

The Schedule B export commodity code use up to ten (10) digits, and many of those end with multiple zeroes. Some examples:

7101.10.0000 | NATURAL PEARLS, NOT MOUNTED OR SET, MAY BE 
               TEMP STRUNG
7102.10.0000 | DIAMONDS, UNSORTED
7113.11.0000 | JEWELRY AND PARTS THEREOF, OF SILVER

Some people wanting data on the exports of unsorted diamonds (7102.10.0000), may think that the last five (5) zeroes in the code are insignificant, leave them out of the request and say they are looking for exports information on code "71021". There is a big problem: There is no code "71021" in the Schedule B export data. There are two (2), four (4), six (6) and ten (10) digit data. "71021" is a five (5) digit code.

A logical assumption might be that the person left off one zero and actually wanted data on the six (6) digit code "710210". This would actually get the right result as there is only one (1) ten (10) digit code under "710210"; however, you can't guarantee that in every case. The result would be much more general data than was anticipated.

The systems we use and what's available from them

The Foreign Trade Division bases all of our data on the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS). We have developed a way to "translate" from HTS based data to the other classification systems.

You can request data using the following classification systems:

• HTS Data
  • Harmonized Schedule codes (HS)
    • Primary use: Imports
    • Digit level detail: 2, 4, 6 and 10
    • Available years: 1989 to present (monthly data may be limited)
    • Available category variables: commodity, country, district
    • Available analysis variables: value, 1st unit of quantity (10-digit only), 2nd unit of quantity (10-digit only).
  • Schedule B codes (Based on HTS codes. Same up to and including six digits. Less detailed at ten digit level) [Available codes]
    • Primary use: Exports
    • Digit level detail: 2, 4, 6 and 10
    • Available years: 1989 to present (monthly data may be limited)
    • Available category variables: commodity, country, district
    • Available analysis variables: value, 1st unit of quantity (10-digit only), 2nd unit of quantity (10-digit only).
• End-Use [Available codes]
  • Primary use: Imports and exports
  • Digit level detail: 1 and 5
  • Available years: 1989 to present (monthly data may be limited)
  • Available category variables: commodity, country
  • Available analysis variables: value
• SITC [Available codes]
  • Primary use: Imports and exports
  • Digit level detail: 1,2,3,4 and 5
  • Available years: 1989 to present (monthly data may be limited)
  • Available category variables: commodity, country
  • Available analysis variables: value
• SIC [Available codes]
  • Primary use: Imports and exports
  • Digit level detail: 2,3 and 4
  • Available years: 1989 to 1999 (monthly data may be limited)
  • Available category variables: commodity, country
  • Available analysis variables: value
• NAICS [Available codes]
  • Primary use: Imports and exports
  • Digit level detail: 2,3,4,5 and 6
  • Available years: 1998 to present (monthly data may be limited)
  • Available category variables: commodity, country
  • Available analysis variables: value

   

Classifying geography: countries and districts

Just like commodities, geographic areas have codes; however, we use one system to classify those. You can see them online:

• Countries (Schedule C)
• Customs districts (Schedule D)

Request information on a customized request

As you can see, there is a lot of trade information available. We can help you sort through it and decide what you need to achieve your goals.

There are several ways to start the process:

1. Call us at (301)763-2227
2. E-mail us at ftdreqinfo@ccmail.census.gov
3. Fill out our Customized Request Information form. Tell us what you think you'll need, and a member of our staff will contact you about your request.

Costs

There may be costs associated with your customized requests (as low as $10-$15). However, we will inform you about those costs before sending you any data. That way you'll at least know whether or not your information is available. If the costs is no problem, we'll run the request and get it to you as soon as possible. If you'd rather not pay, we may be able to suggest alternative sources.