UN Recommendation for Transport Code: Recommendation 21: Codes for Types of Cargo, Packages and Packaging Materials
Recommendation 21 establishes a numeric code system to represent types of cargo, packages and packaging materials in trade, transport and other economic activities related to international trade. The Recommendation also establishes complementary alphabetic codes for names of packages. The code system and the codes provided for in this Recommendation are intended for use in data interchange between participants in international trade, by automatic interchange methods, and also in other applications. The codes are also intended for use in manual systems, e.g. to complement or substitute plain language descriptions in forms used in international trade. Where appropriate and desirable, the codes can be used in the context of other economic activities. Its annex 5, Coded Representations of Package Type Names Used in International Trade, is regularly updated and published.