Product classification or product taxonomy is a type of

economic taxonomy An economic taxonomy is a system of classification of economic activity, including products, companies and industries. Some economists believe that the study of economic policy demands the use of a taxonomic/classificatory approach. Industry taxon ...

which organizes products for a variety of purposes. However, not only products can be referred to in a standardized way but also sales practices in form of the “

Incoterms The Incoterms or International Commercial Terms are a series of pre-defined commercial terms published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) relating to international commercial law. Incoterms define the responsiblities of exporters and ...

” and industries can be classified into categories. Some standard product classifications include: * CPA —

Classification of Products by Activity Product classification or product taxonomy is a type of economic taxonomy which organizes products for a variety of purposes. However, not only products can be referred to in a standardized way but also sales practices in form of the “Incoterms” ...

, a product nomenclature that was used in the

European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisb ...

and now in use in the EU, a European version of the CPC ** CPA 1996 ** CPA 2002 ** CPA 2008 ** CPA 2.1Statistical Classification of Products by Activity, Version 2.1
/ref> * CPC —

Central Product Classification The Central Product Classification (CPC) is a product classification for goods and services promulgated by the United Nations Statistical Commission. It is intended to be an international standard for organizing and analyzing data on industrial pr ...

, a United Nations standard classification for products * ETIM, the ETIM Technical Information Model * Global Classification and Harmonized Schedule Numbers for customs classification * HS —

Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System The Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System, also known as the Harmonized System (HS) of tariff nomenclature is an internationally standardized system of names and numbers to classify traded products. It came into effect in 1988 and has ...

* SITC —

Standard International Trade Classification Standard International Trade Classification (SITC) is a classification of goods used to classify the exports and imports of a country to enable comparing different countries and years. The classification system is maintained by the United Nations. ...

Trade in Services Trade in Services refers to the sale and delivery of an intangible product, called a service, between a producer and consumer. Trade in services that takes place between a producer and consumer that are, in legal terms, based in different countrie ...

UNSPSC The United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC) is a taxonomy of products and services for use in eCommerce. It is a four-level hierarchy coded as an eight-digit number, with an optional fifth level adding two more digits. The l ...

, the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code * IEC Common Data Dictionary (IEC CDD), a product classification and product description based on international standards and defined by the

International Electrotechnical Commission The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC; in French: ''Commission électrotechnique internationale'') is an international standards organization that prepares and publishes international standards for all electrical, electronic and r ...

* eCl@ss, a global and ISO/IEC-conform system for classification and description of products and services, maintained by the non-governmental eCl@ss e.V. association

Notes

References

CPA 2.1
at the Eurostat website * United Nations Statistical Commission, "International Family of Economic and Social Classifications", p.
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See also

Notes

References