Central Product Classification (CPC), Version 2

ST/ESA/STAT/SER.M/77/Ver.2.1

Department of Economic and Social Affairs Statistics Division

Statistical Papers

Series M No. 77, Ver.2.1

Central Product Classification (CPC)

Version 2.1

White cover publication, pre-edited text subject to official editing

United Nations, New York, 2015

Department of Economic and Social Affairs

The Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat is a vital interface between global policies in the economic, social and environmental spheres and national action. The Department works in three main interlinked areas: (i) it compiles, generates and analyses a wide range of economic, social and environmental data and information on which States Members of the United Nations draw to review common problems and to take stock of policy options; (ii) it facilitates the negotiations of Member States in many intergovernmental bodies on joint courses of action to address ongoing or emerging global challenges; and (iii) it advises interested Governments on the ways and means of translating policy frameworks developed in United Nations conferences and summits into programmes at the country level and, through technical assistance, helps build national capacities. Note The designations used and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The term "country" as used in this publication also refers, as appropriate, to territories or areas. Symbols of United Nations documents are composed of capital letters combined with figures. Mention of such a symbol indicates a reference to a United Nations document.

ST/ESA/STAT/SER.M/77/Ver.2.1 UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION Sales No. < to be assigned > ISBN: < to be assigned > Copyright ? United Nations, 2015 All rights reserved

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Preface

The Central Product Classification (CPC) constitutes a complete product classification covering all goods and services1. It serves as an international standard for assembling and tabulating all kinds of data requiring product detail, including statistics on industrial production, domestic and foreign commodity trade, international trade in services, balance of payments, consumption and price statistics and other data used within the national accounts. It provides a framework for international comparison and promotes harmonization of various types of statistics related to goods and services.

The first version of the CPC, the Provisional Central Product Classification, was published in 1991. This version was superseded by the Central Product Classification (CPC) Version 1.0, published in 1998. In that publication particular attention was paid to the elaboration of the services part of the classification. CPC Version 1.1, published in 2002, represented a further update to the CPC, incorporating modifications due to recent changes in economies worldwide and sustained technological advancement in the period since the development of CPC Version 1.0. The CPC Version 2, released in 2008, again reflected recent changes in the character of outputs, in particular related to fast developing services industries. In addition, extensive detail had been introduced in the CPC to better describe agricultural and related products and information products. A conceptual review of products covered in the CPC has also led to the introduction of a broader concept of goods and services. The current edition, CPC version 2.1, is the result of a scheduled review of the CPC structure and detail to ensure the classifications' relevance for describing current products in the economy. The changes in this version are mostly results of further reviews of agricultural products (including fishery, forestry and agricultural inputs), outputs of selected service industries, energy products and necessary adjustments to reflect changes made in the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System.

The ongoing revision of this classification is evidence of the commitment to systematize the improvement of the classification over time, keeping it current and making it more responsive to existing economic and technological reality while maintaining conceptual consistency.

The primary purpose of CPC Version 2.1 is to classify the goods and services that are the result of production in any economy. This production is accounted for in the national accounts of countries and can be measured and analyzed using the System of National Accounts (SNA). CPC Version 2.1 is useful in studying transactions in goods and services in detail. It can also be used as a basis for developing lists of goods and services for specific purposes, such as price statistics surveys, tourism statistics surveys or ICT-related surveys, with its primary advantage being that it meets the criteria of an international standard. It has broad acceptance and facilitates the maintenance of systems of categories of products, both with regard to character and definition. It can therefore serve as a framework for international comparison.

1 See detailed discussion on goods and services in Part One, chapter II.C of this publication.

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Contents

Preface ........................................................................................................................... Historical Background ...................................................................................................... Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... Support for users of the CPC ............................................................................................ Acronyms and abbreviations ............................................................................................

Part One - Introduction

I. Overview..................................................................................................................

II. The underlying principles of the classification .................................................... A. Purpose and nature of the classification ........................................................... B. Principles used in constructing the CPC ........................................................... C. Goods, services and other products................................................................... D. Coding system of the classification...................................................................

III. Application of the classification ............................................................................ A. Rules of interpretation....................................................................................... B. Explanatory notes..............................................................................................

IV. Other topics ............................................................................................................ A. Using the CPC in establishing national classifications of products .................. B. Use of different levels of the classification ....................................................... C. Relationship of the CPC to other classifications ............................................... 1. Relationship to the International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities .......................................................................................... 2. Relationship to the Harmonized System..................................................... 3. Relationship to the Standard International Trade Classification ................ 4. Relationship to other classifications and standards .................................... D. Correspondence tables ...................................................................................... E. Alphabetical index to the classification ............................................................ F. Alternative structures ........................................................................................

Part Two - Broad structure

Broad structure of CPC Version 2.1 (Sections and divisions)..................................

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7 7 8 9 12

13 13 15

17 17 18 18

18 19 20 20 22 22 22

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Part Three - Detailed structure

Detailed structure and correspondences of CPC Version 2.1 subclasses to

ISIC Rev. 4, Harmonized System 2012 and CPC Version 2 ....................................

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