The purpose of these tables is to provide data on the network of flows of broad groups of commodities within and between important economic and geographic areas of the world.

The regional analysis in these tables is in accordance with that of Table 34 in this issue.

Export data in these tables are largely comparable to that shown in Table 34 except that Table 34 contains revised data for total exports which are not incorporated into this table if the corresponding revised data at the commodity/destination level are not available. Also, the regional totals shown in Table 34 have been adjusted to exclude the re-exports of countries comprising each region. This adjustment is not made in this table since re-exports are often not available by commodity and by destination.

The commodity classification is in accordance with the United Nations' Standard International Trade Classification (SITC), Revision 3.

The data are based on official export figures converted, where necessary, to U.S. dollars according to conversion factors published quarterly in Table 37 in this Bulletin (March, June, September and December). Where official figures are not available estimates based on the imports reported by partner countries and on other subsidiary data are used. Some official national data have been adjusted to approximate the commodity groupings of the SITC.

The data include special category (confidential) exports, ships' stores and bunkers and exports of minor importance, the destination of which cannot be determined. These data are included in the world totals for each commodity group and in total exports, but are excluded from all regions of destination. Major regional aggregates are presented for each commodity category, as well as the four largest exporting countries in the European Union and the two largest exporting countries in the 'Other developed economies' group.