ISO 7372:2005

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 7372
Third edition
2005-06-15
Trade data interchange — Trade data
elements directory
Échange de données dans le commerce — Répertoire d'éléments de
données commerciales
Reference number
©
ISO 2005
PDF disclaimer
This PDF file may contain embedded typefaces. In accordance with Adobe's licensing policy, this file may be printed or viewed but
shall not be edited unless the typefaces which are embedded are licensed to and installed on the computer performing the editing. In
downloading this file, parties accept therein the responsibility of not infringing Adobe's licensing policy. The ISO Central Secretariat
accepts no liability in this area.
Adobe is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.
Details of the software products used to create this PDF file can be found in the General Info relative to the file; the PDF-creation
parameters were optimized for printing. Every care has been taken to ensure that the file is suitable for use by ISO member bodies. In
the unlikely event that a problem relating to it is found, please inform the Central Secretariat at the address given below.

©  ISO 2005
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from either ISO at the address below or
ISO's member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
Case postale 56 • CH-1211 Geneva 20
Tel. + 41 22 749 01 11
Fax + 41 22 749 09 47
E-mail copyright@iso.org
Web www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2005 – All rights reserved

UNTDED 2005 ISO 7372:2005(E)
Trade Data Elements Directory (TDED)

UNTDED 2005
Vol. I - Data Elements
CONTENTS
VOLUME I DATA ELEMENTS
1. INTRODUCTION 1
1.1. Scope, content and sources 1
1.2. References 2
1.2.1. International Standards 2
1.2.2. UN and UN/CEFACT Recommendations 3
1.3. Definitions 3
1.4. Abbreviations 4
1.5. Character sets 4
1.6. Explanation of the contents of the Directory 5
1.7. Presentation of data elements in the Directory 5
1.8. Availability of the UNTDED and ISO 7372 5
2. MAINTENANCE OF THE TRADE DATA ELEMENTS DIRECTORY 6
2.1. Introduction 6
2.2. Role of the Maintenance Agency 6
2.3. Membership 6
2.3.1. Inter-governmental and non-governmental bodies 7
2.3.2. International Organization for Standardization 7
2.3.3. Associate members 7
2.3.4. External expertise 8
2.3.5. Maintenance Agency Secretariat (MAS) 8
2.4. Rules of procedure 8
2.4.1. Proposals for changes, additions or deletions 8
2.4.2. Changes to TDED 8
2.4.2.1. Change of the name or description of an existing data element 8
2.4.2.2. Change in the concept of a data element 9
2.4.2.3. Addition of data elements 9
2.4.2.4. Deletion of data elements 9
2.4.3. Technical Assessment Checklist (TAC) 9
2.5. Consultation of members of the MA 9
2.6. Voting procedures 10
2.7. Implementation of approved amendments 10
3. INDEXES [reserved for future use] 11
Page iv © ISO 2005 – All rights reserved

UNTDED 2005 ISO 7372:2005(E)
4 DATA ELEMENTS 12
4.1 Presentation, descriptions of categories, abbreviations 12
4.1.1 Layout of data element entries 12
4.1.2 Abbreviations of character representations 13
4.1.3 References concerning character representations 14
4.1.4 Grouping of data elements into broad categories 14
4.1.5 Explicit cross-referencing between data elements and codes: () and [] 16
4.1.6 Categories of data elements, allocation of identifiers (tags) 17
4.1.7 Data element issue numbering 17
4.2 Trade Data Elements Directory TDED 18
4.2.0 (0001-0699) Service data elements 18
4.2.1 (1000-1699) documentation, references 18
4.2.2 (2000-2699) Dates, times, periods of time 18
4.2.3 (3000-3699) Parties, addresses, places, countries 18
4.2.4 (4000-4699) Clauses, conditions, terms, instructions 18
4.2.5 (5000-5699) Amounts, charges, percentages 18
4.2.6 (6000-6699) Measure identifiers, quantities (other than monetary) 18
4.2.7 (7000-7699) Goods and articles: descriptions and identifiers 19
4.2.8 (8000-8699) Transport modes, means and equipments 19
4.2.9 (9000-9699) Other data elements (Customs, etc.) 19

VOLUME II USER CODE LIST
Vol. II is the User Code list, part of UNCL (UN Code lists) of UN/EDIFACT directory
D.02A. Sample:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
* 3035 Party function code qualifier
Desc: Code giving specific meaning to a party.
Repr: an.3
[…]
BY   Buyer
(3002) Party to whom merchandise and/or service is sold.
[…]
----------------------------------------------------------------------]

VOLUME III COMPENDIUM OF TRADE FACILITATION RECOMMENDATIONS

This Compendium of UNECE Trade Facilitation Recommendations includes Class 3 code
lists as for example:
UNECE ISO # Name
Rec. #
3 3166 ISO Country Code for Representation of Names of Countries
5 Abbreviations of INCOTERMS
7 8601 Numerical Representation of Dates, Time and Periods of Time
9 4217 Alphabetic Code for the Representation of Currencies
16 LOCODE - Code for Ports and other Locations
17 PAYTERMS - Abbreviations for Terms of Payment
19 Codes for Modes of Transport
20 1000 Codes for Units of Measurement used in International Trade
21 Codes for Types of Cargo, Packages and Packaging Materials
23 Freight Cost Code – FCC
24 Trade and Transport Status Codes
28 Codes for Types of means of transport

Page vi © ISO 2005 – All rights reserved

UNTDED 2005 ISO 7372:2005(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national
standards bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is
normally carried out through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a
subject for which a technical committee has been established has the right to be represented
on that committee. International Organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in
liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this International Standard
may be the subject of patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all
such patent rights.
International Standard ISO 7372 was prepared jointly with the United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UNECE) and adopted by Technical Committee ISO/TC 154,
Processes, data elements and documents in commerce, industry and administration, as the
Trade Data Elements Directory (TDED); and is maintained by a joint ISO-UNECE
Maintenance Agency (see section 2).

This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition (ISO 7372:1993).

This International Standard adopted by the technical committee has been circulated to the
member bodies for voting and formally adopted by ISO and by the UN compliant to the
procedures of each.
When producing this edition of the Trade Data Elements Directory, the Maintenance Agency
has delivered a directory that is:
• supporting the UN Layout Key for Trade Documents (ISO6422) by registering data
elements that can be conveyed in such documents
• fully consistent with the set of UN/EDIFACT directories supporting electronic data
interchange, especially with the EDIFACT Data Element Directory (EDED) and the UN
Codes Library (UNCL).
• multimodal (all means of transport); (uni)modal requirements are satisfied by using
business terms or synonyms, and not by specific entries; multimodal requirements are
satisfied by generic entries
• multisectoral (trade/transport/Customs/etc.)
• technology and syntax independent
• ebXML Core Components Technical Specification compliant, providing the core
component dictionary entry name with 1) object class, 2) property term and 3)
representation term, and support the Controlled Vocabulary with list of permissible words
• backward compatible wherever possible and allows a migration path from previous
editions; when an element (a duplicate) has been marked for deletion a preferred element is
recommended.
Achieving the last point was crucial to ensuring consistency among the directories and also
with the data elements of other international organizations. Developments in international
trade since the publication of the previous edition of the TDED in 1993 resulted in some
incompatibility with other UN publications. This current revision of the TDED has
eliminated the inconsistencies and again secured the bi-directional references by the use of
round and square brackets in the UN/EDIFACT UNCL code list, and similar notations in the
TDED. Changes made in the TDED, for example the removal of duplicate data elements, are
fully reflected in the EDIFACT Directories and Code Lists.

This approach should provide the framework that reduces the risk of divergence between the
publications in the future.
The main resources used in this revision were: UN/EDIFACT D.02A edition, UN/CEFACT
TBG3 (Transport), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the World Customs
Organization Customs Data Model Version 1 (2002), UNCTAD ASYCUDA and the joint
UNeDocs SITPRO project team. In summer 2004, at the time of the finalisation of the draft
for this new edition of TDED, the targets as listed above have been met within the framework
of the resources and time available.

During the revision process, the Maintenance Agency has developed data element names
which fully comply with the naming rules defined by ISO 11179, and required by the ebXML
Core Components Technical Specification. The Maintenance Agency will submit these
compliant data elements to UN/CEFACT for Core Component harmonization.

Throughout the production process the Maintenance Agency continually updated the revision
drafts and performed numerous quality checks and public reviews.

Additionally, the Maintenance Agency reviewed and revised the procedures for submitting
Data Maintenance Requests (DMRs).  The MA recognized that its work must be as universal
as possible; and consequently cooperated closely with the following bodies:
• UN/CEFACT Forum: TBG, ATG, ICG and their Regional Entry Points:
UN/EDIFACT and XML DMR procedures
• UN/CEFACT Forum TMG : ebXML CCTS WG DMR procedures
• OASIS UBL TC DMR procedures
• ISO9735 JSWG Joint Syntax WG DMR procedures
• WCO Customs Data Model DMR procedures
• UNCTAD ASYCUDA DMR procedures
• As well as other Maintenance Agency members’ DMR procedures as UIC for CIM, IATA
for CIMP and IMO for FAL.
Management and registration of aggregates, composites and other combinations of single
TDED entries are outside the scope of the Maintenance Agency; this work is the
responsibility of standardization bodies such as JTC1/SC32 and UN/CEFACT TBG17
(Harmonization).
Last, but not least, all members of the Maintenance Agency kept clearly in mind that the best
is the enemy of the good, and that some revisions and improvement to the TDED could have a
significant migration cost for some users. To assist users in migration, explicit paths have
been provided, especially for the deleted entries. Items in the previous version which were
inconsistently tagged (e.g. wrong Group, or wrong even/uneven tag) have not been corrected,
except when an explicit business requirement had been identified. In this way, the
Maintenance Agency did its utmost to meet the needs of members and TDED users.

*   *   *
Page viii © ISO 2005 – All rights reserved

UNTDED 2005 ISO 7372:2005(E)
Section
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Scope, content and sources
The standard data elements included in this Directory are intended to facilitate an open
interchange of data in international trade.

These standard data elements can be used with any method for data interchange on paper
documents as well as with other means of data processing and communication: they can be
selected for transmission one by one, or used within a particular system of interchange rules,
e.g. the United Nations rules for Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce
and Transport (UN/EDIFACT), developed within the UN/CEFACT of the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and published as International Standard
ISO9735.
This Directory has been compiled by the TDED Maintenance Agency (see Section 2 below),
on the basis of the work within this UN/CEFACT, as well as work within other Maintenance
Agency members as specially WCO and IMO. This edition has been adopted by Technical
Committee ISO/TC 154 and the UN/CEFACT.

Volume I of the Directory constitutes International Standard ISO 7372. Annexes A, B, C and
D of this International standard are for information only.

Volume II includes the User Code List. The preparation and maintenance of Vol. II is an
activity of the UN/CEFACT.
Volume III is a Compendium of Trade Facilitation Recommendations. The preparation
and maintenance of Vol. III is a joint activity of the UNECE and the UN Conference on trade
and Development (UNCTAD), Special Programme for Trade Efficiency (SPTE).

The main source of this edition of TDED is the set of UN/EDIFACT directories D.02A:
- Vol. I has been built as a true superset of D.02A EDED = data elements
- Vol. II is a straight forward subset of D.02A UNCL = codes.

This third edition supersedes the second, 1993 edition of the TDED.
1.2. References
(1)
1.2.1. International Standards
The following standards contain provisions, which, through reference in this text, constitute
provisions of this International Standard. All standards are subject to revision, and parties to
agreements based on this International Standard are encouraged to investigate the possibility
of applying the most recent editions of the standards indicated below. Members of IEC and
ISO maintain registers of currently valid International Standards.

Dates provided in the table below are b
...