Databases: Principles and Access

WITS is software fed by databases which can be queried individually or in combination. Thanks to this unique gathering of data, WITS offers the largest country/period coverage available on international trade and market access information.

WITS includes 3 major databases maintained by partner international organizations:

• The UNCTAD TRAINS;
• The WTO IDB/CTS;
• The UNSD COMTRADE.

Each organization monitors access to its own database through WITS, based on its own dissemination policy:

• UNSD COMTRADE: access is free to all user users with a limit of 50,000 rows/download. Unlimited download access is available to Institutional users (Academic institutions, government, inter-government agencies, NGOs) from developing countries on the IDA list, data providers, permanent missions to the United Nations and members of the Committee for the Coordination of Statistical Activities (CCSA) and users subscribed to Premium site license with UNSD. These users have to verify themselves in WITS by using the UN COMTRADE key generated by For more information click here to open UN COMTRADE web site or click here for subscription prices.
• UNCTAD TRAINS: Access to TRAINS database is free of charge and unlimited. Users need simply to register with WITS and the access is provided automatically. For more information click here to open TRAINS web site.
• WTO IDB/CTS: All IDB/CTS tariff information is freely available to the public at the tariff line level except AVE's and import statistics. Access to tariffline imports data is restricted to certain users based on WTO guidelines. For more information click here to open WTO Tariff Analysis web site.

You do not need to have access to all databases to use WITS.

For more information on database access aspects, you can also visit WITSinformation web site at:
http://wits.worldbank.org/wits/FAQs.html

Next: Databases - Content and coverage

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The World Bank, 2010