Glossary:Standard international trade classification (SITC)
The Standard international trade classification, abbreviated as SITC, is a product classification of the United Nations (UN) used for external trade statistics (export and import values and volumes of goods), allowing for international comparisons of commodities and manufactured goods.
The groupings of SITC reflect:
- the production materials;
- the processing stage;
- market practices and uses of the products;
- the importance of the goods in world trade;
- technological changes.
The main categories are:
- food, drinks and tobacco (Sections 0 and 1 - including live animals);
- raw materials (Sections 2 and 4);
- energy products (Section 3);
- chemicals (Section 5);
- machinery and transport equipment (Section 7);
- other manufactured goods (Sections 6 and 8).
SITC Revision 4 was accepted by the United Nations Statistical Commission at its 37th session in 2006 and it is currently being implemented.
Further information
- Standard International Trade Classification, Revision 3 (1988) (RAMON Classifications database)
- Standard International Trade Classification, Revision 4 (United Nations Statistics Division - Trade Statistics)