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UN Comtrade Help Center

UN Comtrade Help Center

  • UN Comtrade website

Getting Started

  • Welcome to UN Comtrade
  • Read Me First (Disclaimer)
  • Use Cases
  • How to Access UN Comtrade data?
  • Subscription Plans
  • UN Comtrade Data Processing and Dissemination Pipeline
  • Policy on use and re-dissemination
  • Premium Subscribers
  • How to create an account
  • Acquiring API Subscription Keys
  • Who do we contact for support?
  • Can I book a demo of the UN Comtrade platform?

FAQ

  • Policy on use and re-dissemination
  • FAQs on Use and Re-dissemination
  • List of References & Parameter Codes
  • Exports from one country may not always align perfectly with the imports of its trading partners.
  • Bilateral asymmetries
  • Issues with UN Comtrade Website?
  • Annual totals vs sum of monthly data
  • Can I book a demo of the UN Comtrade platform?
  • Why are some converted datasets not accessible in the UI?
  • What is “SITC LTS”?
  • Why does the commodity description for some HS codes differ slightly from the official WCO version?
  • Trade valuation
  • How to Access UN Comtrade data?
  • Mode of Transport and Trade Routes
  • Does UN Comtrade provide buyer/supplier-level data?
  • How should I interpret and use quantity data in UN Comtrade?
  • What is bulk file download?
  • How do I use wildcards to query data?
  • How to use UN Comtrade via World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS)
  • What are the data sources for UN Comtrade?
  • Which new data items have been added to UN Comtrade datasets?
  • How to retrieve data for “World” exports to a country in UN Comtrade?
  • What is data preview?
  • What is data delivery?
  • Conversion factors and current/constant value
  • Supplementary Quantity Units
  • Are 6-digit commodity codes included in 4-digit commodity codes or are they separate?
  • Reported and Converted Data: Commodity Conversion Issues
  • Premium Trial Subscription
  • Who do we contact for support?
  • Showcases in Visualization Labs

Premium

  • Premium Subscribers
  • UN Comtrade Tools
  • Menu: Bulk Files

Metadata

  • Seaborne Trade Estimates – Archive
  • Country nomenclature and groupings
  • Historical Data 1900-1960 on IMTS
  • Correlation between ISIC and SITC codes (or Commodity and Industry)
  • Conversion factors and current/constant value
  • Which new data items have been added to UN Comtrade datasets?
  • What are the data sources for UN Comtrade?
  • Supplementary Quantity Units
  • Reporters and Partners
  • Taiwan, Province of China Trade Data
  • Data Conversion
  • Intermediate Goods in Trade Statistics
  • HS 2017 code 3002.19 and HS 2022 code 3822.19
  • HS 2007 code 2916.36
  • Monetary and Non-Monetary Gold in Trade Classifications (SITC, HS)
  • Areas not elsewhere specified
  • Why are China’s re-imports so high?
  • Second Partner Country
  • UN Comtrade and UNData
  • Tariffline product code description
  • Shuttle Trade
  • Trade with itself
  • Reporter country codes and their custom areas
  • Reported and Converted Data: Commodity Conversion Issues
  • Quantity unit information in detailed level data
  • Data Confidentiality in UN Comtrade
  • EU in UN Comtrade
  • Definition of luxury goods
  • Exports from one country may not always align perfectly with the imports of its trading partners.
  • Changes in trade reporting practices of countries with colonies
  • Reporting Period – Calendar Year
  • Measurement of iron trade, specifically in used cars
  • Leasing of aircraft – financial leasing
  • Hong Kong trade with China
  • Historical data on International Merchandise Trade Statistics (1900-1960)
  • Free Zones and Bunkers
  • Food provided on airlines – Transportation Services
  • Country Codes
  • China: Data availability before 1984
  • Italy: Change in Statistical Territory

Definitions

  • Trade valuation
  • Bilateral asymmetries
  • Special Trade System
  • Modes of Supply
  • Economic Territory and Statistical Territory
  • Distinction between Exports and Re-exports / Imports and Re-imports

Do more

  • UN Comtrade Tools
  • Developer tools for UN Comtrade Data

User Guide

  • How to create an account
  • Home page
  • Menu: Data
  • Menu: Data Availability
  • Menu: Bulk Files
  • Menu: Metadata
  • UN Comtrade Tools
  • UN Comtrade API
  • Showcases in Visualization Labs
  • Premium Trial Subscription
  • What is data preview?
  • What is data delivery?
  • What is tariffline data?
  • How to query data
  • How do I use wildcards to query data?
  • Downloading all data by period
  • How to use UN Comtrade via World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS)

Methodology and Manuals

  • Concepts and definitions of International Merchandise Trade Statistics
  • Concepts and definitions of Statistics of International Trade in Services
  • UN Comtrade Data Processing and Dissemination Pipeline
  • Compilation Methodology
  • Historical Data 1900-1960 on IMTS
  • IMTS Publication List
  • HS, SITC, BEC conversion and correspondence tables
  • Quantity and Weight Data in UN Comtrade

Trade in Services

  • Negative values in trade in services
  • Modes of Supply
  • EBOPS 2002: Extended Balance of Payments Services Classification
View Categories
  • Home
  • Docs
  • Getting Started
  • Subscription Plans

Subscription Plans

3 min read

Which subscriptions can I choose from? #

UN Comtrade offers free access to official trade statistics through a free basic individual subscription.  Registration is free, and users can unlock a range of features with a registered UN Comtrade account.  These features include data preview, data download of 100K records per call, and data API access for up to 500 calls/day.   API access is available through our UN Comtrade Developer portal, where users can request a free subscription key. 

We encourage our users to fully explore the features available through our free, basic individual subscription. Most users find that a free account provides enough access to meet their data requirements. 

For users with more extensive data requirements and features, a premium subscription to UN Comtrade may be a good option. In addition to the basic features, premium subscribers can access pre-packaged data files called bulk files and wider API access with increased limits.

To help users evaluate the account type for their needs, the table below shows an overview of what’s included in each account type.

Account Types #


Features


Public


Basic Individual


Premium Individual
Premium Institutional
Pro 1 – not-for-profit and academic institutions
Pro 2 – for-profit and private sector institutions
Number of UsersRegistration not requiredSingleSingleMultiple
Yearly SubscriptionFreeFreeVisit shop.un.orgVisit shop.un.org
Type of AccessAnonymousIndividualIndividualInstitution-wide
AuthenticationNon-authenticatedRegistered emailRegistered emailRegistered email domain
User Interface (UI) 
Data Preview(tick)(tick)(tick)(tick)
Data Download(error)(tick)(tick)(tick)
Data Delivery(error)(error)(tick)(tick)
Aggregation Option(tick)(tick)(tick)(tick)
Save Parameters(error)(tick)(tick)(tick)
Save Searches(error)(tick)(tick)(tick)
Download Options
UI Download(error)(tick)
max 100K records per call
(tick)
max of 250k records per call
(tick)
max of 250k records per call
UI Bulk(error)(error)(tick)(tick)
UI Deliver(error)(error)(tick)
max of 2.5M records per call
(tick)
max of 2.5M records per call
Data API(error)(tick)
max 100K records per call
(tick)
max of 250k records per call
(tick)
max of 250k records per call
Bulk API(error)(error)(tick)(tick)
Async API(error)(error)(tick)
max of 2.5M records per call
(tick)
max of 2.5M records per call
API 
Preview data API(tick)
Limited to 500 records and 1 single period and product per call

(tick)
500 calls/day


(tick)
5000 calls/day


(tick)
Unlimited calls per day
Data API(error)
Bulk API(error)(error)
Async API(error)(error)
API Key(error) warning (!)
Keys may be periodically regenerated.
Visit UN Comtrade Developer Portal.
(tick) (tick)

We offer a premium trial subscription to our registered free users (Basic Individual) interested in purchasing a premium subscription. This trial subscription aims to demonstrate the advanced features of our premium service and help users make an informed decision before committing to a premium subscription. Please note that the trial subscription only gives access to a limited dataset because it is intended to showcase the features rather than access the data.

To qualify for the trial, users must have previously engaged with the fundamental functionalities offered within UN Comtrade through a Basic Individual account. Consequently, users are eligible to request a trial subscription only after 15 days from the creation of their account. This initial duration allows users sufficient time to familiarize themselves with UN Comtrade features, often leading them to discover that the basic individual account (free) adequately meets their requirements.

How can I subscribe to UN Comtrade? #

UN Comtrade offers subscriptions to both individual users and institutions. To check if your institution or library has an existing subscription, please contact them directly. Alternatively, you can create an account using your email. If your organization has a premium subscription, you will see the “My Comtrade Premium” option in the top left menu. Otherwise, you will see the “My Comtrade Free”.

For more information, contact subscriptions@un.org. 

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How to Access UN Comtrade data?UN Comtrade Data Processing and Dissemination Pipeline
Table of Contents
  • Which subscriptions can I choose from?
    • Account Types
  • How can I subscribe to UN Comtrade?
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