Trade codes of non-food, non-energy raw materials and products : an analysis for the Raw Materials Information System (RMIS)

Assessing the trade of raw materials in relation to supply risk and sustainability is essential. Data on international trade flows (in quantity and monetary value) are widely available from several databases and classifications (e.g. UN Comtrade, Eurostat Comext) for narrowly defined product groups (trade codes). Limitations in trade data analysis exist as the Harmonised System and the Combined Nomenclature codes may not always be sufficiently specific, e.g., a single trade code may include more than one raw material and/or several products. The main goal of the work undertaken was to identify products associated with Non-Food, Non-Fuel (NFNF) raw materials and assign them to specified trade codes. This mapping can be used as a common basis for the analysis and integration of trade statistics at the global (e.g., Comtrade) and European level (Eurostat Comext) in the EC's Raw Materials Information System (RMIS) and beyond. Product-specific information, such as the processing stage of the product, or the material content of products along the supply chain (from extraction to finished products), can greatly facilitate the analysis of trade statistics.