Рекомендация n 20 европейской экономической комиссии оон"коды для единиц измерения, используемых в международной торговле" (ece/trade/273) [рус., англ.](принята в г. женеве 26.03.2001 - 29.03.2001 на 7-ой сессии центром по упрощению процедур торговли и электронным деловым операциям)
a single list of code elements for units of measure for use worldwide in
administration, commerce, transport, science and technology is provided.
II.
RECOMMENDATION
UN/CEFACT,
Taking note, that the units of measure
specified herein are provided to the user for the representation of physical
quantities currently employed in international or regional trade. And taking
note that this collection of units neither claims to address quantities or units
of measure of a non-physical nature nor does it include historic units of
measure not generally encountered in present day usage.
Recommends that
participants in international trade when there is a need for coded
representations of units of measure use the codes for such units presented in
the lists annexed to this present Recommendation.
III. INTRODUCTION
1.
In international trade there is a need for the greatest possible clarity in the
use of units of measure not only for the fulfilment of commercial contracts but
also for the application of laws and regulations governing international trade
procedures.
2. In 1875 the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures BIPM
(International Bureau of Weights and Measures) was established at Sevres
(France). The Bureau was provided for in the Convention du metre signed that
year at the first General Conference on Weights and Measures. The BIPM has a
bilingual (English and French) Web site at http://www.bipm.fr.
3. The
Systeme International d"Unites (International System of Units), with the
abbreviation SI (see BIPM Web site above), was adopted by the eleventh General
Conference on Weights and Measures in 1960.
4. These and other
international efforts to harmonize units of measure and to ensure comparable
results through common rules of application of standardized measures have aimed
at contributing, inter alia, to a better understanding between trading partners,
to improved conditions for Customs clearance and to ensuring comparability of
international trade and transport statistics.
5. In countries where the
International System of Units has been introduced, national units of measure are
harmonized with those of other SI unit countries. In countries where other
systems prevail, quantities are recorded for the general purpose of trade,
transport and statistics in units of measure other than SI units. To achieve
comparability in international trade and transport statistics, factors should be
provided for conversion from units of one system of measure to corresponding
units of another system.
6. Basic relationships between the metric system
and the British imperial system of weights and measures and the above-mentioned
factors were provided in 1966 by the Statistical Office of the United Nations in
the publication "World Weights and Measures. Handbook for Statisticians",
Statistical Papers, Series M, No. 21, Rev.1, Sales No. 66. XVII.3.
7.
Metric units are being introduced in nations where the British (imperial) system
prevails and the SI system has been adopted in principle. To avoid transitional
difficulties it has, however, been necessary to provide for a period during
which units of measure non-compatible with the SI system can be phased out.
8. International standardization bodies, in particular ISO/TC 12 (ISO
Technical Committee 12 - Quantities, units, symbols, conversion factors), and
ISO/IEC JTC1 SC32 (ISO/IEC Joint Technical Committee 1, Sub Committee 32 - Data
management and interchange) have published the relevant standards (see section
VII - References). This collection of work constitutes an important contribution
to the harmonization of standards for international trade. For additional
information on ISO, refer to the ISO Web site at http://www.iso.ch.
IV.
SCOPE
9. This Recommendation establishes a single list of code elements to
represent units of measure for length, mass (weight), volume and other
quantities as shown in figure 1 and covering administration, commerce,
transport, science, technology, industry etc.
Figure 1
Units of Measure
Schema Components
"Informative"
"Normative"
¦ 1 1
¦
-----------------T-----------------T----------------¬
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
¦ Qualified ¦ Sales ¦ Packing ¦
L +- Base
¦ Units ¦ Units ¦ ¦
¦ Units
¦ 2 ¦ 3 ¦
¦ 1 ¦
¦ ¦ ¦
+--------------T-+-----------------+-T--------------+
¦
¦ Common Use ¦ ¦ ¦
¦ Multiples ¦
--------------¬ ¦ Shipping + ¦
¦ Fractions ¦ ¦
Base ¦ ¦ Transport ¦ ¦
¦ Decimals ¦ ¦
+ ¦ ¦ Units ¦
¦ 8 ¦ ¦ Derived
¦ ¦ 4 ¦ ¦
¦ ¦ ¦ SI Units -+
-+ -- -- -- +- --
¦ ¦ L-------------- ¦
¦
¦ ¦ SI Equivalent -+ -- -- --
+-¬
+--------------+-T-----------------T-+--------------+ ¦
¦ Integers ¦ Information ¦ Industry ¦
¦
Numbers ¦ Technology ¦ Specific ¦ ¦
¦ Ratio
¦ Units ¦ Units ¦
¦ 7 ¦
6 ¦ 5 ¦ ¦
¦ ¦
¦ ¦
L----------------+-----------------+----------------- ¦
"Normative
Equivalent"
2
V. FIELD OF APPLICATION
10. The code elements
provided for in this recommendation are intended for use in manual and / or
automated systems for the exchange of information between participants in
international trade and of other economic, scientific and technological
activities.
11. This Recommendation does not affect the use of code
elements, other than those presented in the Annexes, which have been laid down
in international conventions or agreements, binding on participants in
international trade.
VI. TERMINOLOGY
12. For the purpose of this
Recommendation the following definition applies:
Unit of measure: -
Particular quantity, defined and adopted by convention, with which other
quantities of the same kind are compared in order to express their magnitudes
relative to that quantity.
VII. REFERENCES
Metre Convention, Paris
1875
International Convention Relating to Economic Statistics (1928)
Decision by the eleventh General Conference on Weights and Treasures, 1960, to
adopt the Systeme international d"unites (International System of Units) with
the abbreviation SI
ISO 31 Quantities and units
ISO Guide 31
Reference materials - Contents of certificates and
labels
ISO 31-0 General principles
ISO 31-1 Space
and time
ISO 31-2 Periodic and related phenomena
ISO 31-3
Mechanics
ISO 31-4 Heat
ISO 31-5 Electricity
and magnetism
ISO 31-6 Light and related electromagnetic
radiations
ISO 31-7 Acoustics
ISO 31-8 Physical
chemistry and molecular physics
ISO 31-9 Atomic and nuclear
physics
ISO 31-10 Nuclear reactions and ionizing radiations
ISO 31-11 Mathematical signs and symbols for use in the
physical sciences and technology [part 11 is not
relevant for this Recommendation]
ISO 31-12 Characteristic
numbers
ISO 31-13 Solid state physics
ISO 1000 SI
units and recommendations for the use of their
multiples
and of certain other units
ISO 2955 Information processing -
Representation of SI and
other units in systems with
limited character sets
UN/ECE Recommendation 20: Codes for units of
measurement used in
International Trade, Geneva, edition
1985
UN/ECE Recommendation 21: Codes for passengers, types of cargo,
packages and packaging materials
ANSI ASC X12 Data Element
Number 355 - Unit or basis for
measurement
code
Statistical Papers, series M, No. 21, Rev.1, (66.XVII.3) World Weights
and Measures. Handbook for Statisticians. Statistical Office of the United
Nations, New York, 1966
Statistical Papers, series M, No. 52, Rev.1,
(E.82.XVII.14) International Trade Statistics. Concepts and Definitions,
Statistical Office of the United Nations, New York, 1982
VIII. PRINCIPLES
FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE LIST
13. This Recommendation provides a list of
code elements for units of measure to be used in the exchange of information.
The codes are intended for application in everyday trade transactions where the
increasing use of electronic data exchange makes it desirable to establish such
codes. For enterprises that use the United Nations system of aligned trade
documents (based on the UN Layout-key for trade documents), or use the United
Nations Trade Data Elements Directory (UNTDED) and / or the United Nations Trade
Data Interchange Directory (UNTDID) for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), the
code list provides another international instrument for the harmonization of
terms used in trade aiming at greater clarity and facility in the execution of
international trade transactions.
14. In view of the practical aim of the
Recommendation, the code list should not be restricted to a single category of
units, but should also contain other units of measure, which are widely used in
international trade. However, in order to attach importance to the need for
worldwide harmonization of units of measure, it was decided to divide the code
list into three levels:
- Level 1 - normative: the units from ISO 31 in
SI notation, including reference unit plus the standard prefixes as established
in ISO 31;
- Level 2 - normative equivalent: the units based on the
equivalents of the SI units;
- Level 3 - informative: sets of units,
which do not fit into the first two levels but which are required to satisfy
user needs. They may be subdivided into sub-categories. The sub-categories
are:
- units that are widely used in the international environment;
- units used at regional level, that may have a broader international
interest;
- units, that are regional or sectoral only.
The total
structure is shown in figure 2.
Figure 2
UOM "Onion Skin" Levels of
Standardization
------------------------------------------------------------¬
¦
Regional ¦
¦ - --
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ¬ ¦
¦
Regional with International Interest ¦
¦ ¦ -- --
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- ¬ ¦ ¦
¦
International ¦
¦ ¦ ¦
-------T-------------T------¬ ¦ ¦ ¦
¦ ¦
¦Equivalent to¦ ¦ ¦
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
¦
+------+------+------+------+ ¦
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
¦
¦Common¦ SI ¦ Use ¦ ¦
¦ ¦ ¦
+------+ +------+ ¦ ¦ ¦
¦ Harmonization ¦
¦ units ¦ ¦Standardization¦
<--+----+----+-----+--
¦ <-+------+-----+----+----+-
¦
+------+------T------+------+ ¦
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
¦ SI units ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
¦ ¦
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦
¦ ¦ ¦
L------+------+------+------- ¦ ¦ ¦
¦
A ¦
¦ ¦ L- -- -- --
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- ¦ ¦
¦ B
¦
¦ L -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
-- -- -- -- - ¦
¦ C
¦
L------------------------------------------------------------
15. When
reaching these agreements, the UN/ECE took into account that no binding
provisions exist, worldwide, for using a special system. For example, on this
point the International Convention Relating to Economic Statistics states
only:
"The unit or units of measure in which quantities of each commodity
are stated - weight, length, area, capacity, etc. - shall be precisely
defined."
"When the quantity of goods of any kind is expressed in any
unit or units of measure other than weight, an estimate of the average weight of
each unit, or multiple of units, shall be shown in the annual returns."
In case of weights, precise definitions shall be given of the meaning of terms
such as "gross weight", "net weight" and "legal net weight", with due regard to
the varying significance of the same term when applied to different classes of
goods". (Statistical Papers, series M, No. 52, Rev.1, para. 118)
16. In
this context the United Nations Statistical Office notes:
"It will be
noted that this permits countries to use units suited to domestic purposes,
while at the same time making it possible to convert these units to units of
weight for purposes of international comparability. Because of the substantial
divergence in the units of quantity used by countries, such a provision offers
the greatest possibility of obtaining uniform quantity information at low cost.
Thus, Governments are urged to take advantage of this option whenever possible".
(Statistical Papers, series M, No. 52, Rev.1, para. 118)
17. The imperial
system was introduced in 1824. The United Kingdom Weights and Measures Act 1963
establishes units of both the imperial and metric systems as "United Kingdom
primary standards". A substantial number of imperial units were no longer
officially authorized for use as from 1 September 1980 including square inch,
square mile, cubic foot, grain, stone, hundredweight, ton and horsepower. The
deadline for phasing out the remaining imperial units is stated in Official
Journal of the European Communities No. L357 of 7 December 1989.
18. Inch
/ pound units of measure used in the United States,
