# UN Comtrade International Trade Data Scraper (`scrapers_lat/un-comtrade-trade-data-scraper`) Actor
Scrape international trade statistics: import and export values between countries by commodity (HS code), annual or monthly. Clean labelled rows with country names, ISO codes, commodity descriptions, trade value in USD, net weight and quantity. Export to JSON, CSV or Excel.
- **URL**: https://apify.com/scrapers\_lat/un-comtrade-trade-data-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Scrapers Lat](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat) (community)
- **Categories:** Developer tools, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet
## Pricing
from $10.20 / 1,000 results
This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.
Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-event
## What's an Apify Actor?
Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".
## How to integrate an Actor?
If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.
- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).
For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.
For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).
# README
## UN Comtrade International Trade Data Scraper (Imports & Exports by Country & HS Code)
> Pull official international merchandise trade statistics as clean, labelled rows: import and export values between any two countries, broken down by commodity (HS code), annual or monthly. Every record comes with real country names, ISO codes and commodity descriptions, trade value in USD, net weight and quantity, ready for analysis, dashboards and market research.
**📥 [Input](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/un-comtrade-trade-data-scraper/input-schema) · 📤 [Output](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/un-comtrade-trade-data-scraper/output-schema) · 💰 [Pricing](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/un-comtrade-trade-data-scraper/pricing) · ▶️ [Examples](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/un-comtrade-trade-data-scraper/examples)**
Imports & exports value in USD by country
By commodity full HS code breakdown
JSON / CSV / Excel output formats
### What you get
Each record is a single flat, labelled trade row with:
- **Reporter** country name, ISO3 and code, and **partner** country name, ISO3 and code
- **Trade flow** in plain words (Export, Import, Re-export, Re-import) plus the flow code
- **Period** (year, or year and month), year and month fields, and the frequency
- **Commodity**: the HS code and its full text description, plus the aggregation level
- **Trade value in USD**, and FOB / CIF value where reported
- **Net weight (kg)**, gross weight and **quantity** with its unit, plus flags for estimated figures
- Customs and mode-of-transport codes, a reported/aggregate flag, the source and an observed timestamp
The upstream feed returns bare numeric codes with the country and commodity names left blank. This Actor joins the official reference tables for you, so you get readable names and descriptions in every row without any extra lookups.
### Who is it for
| Use case | Who benefits |
|---|---|
| Market entry & sizing | Analysts measuring how much of a product flows between markets |
| Supply chain & sourcing | Teams mapping where goods are imported from and exported to |
| Economics & research | Researchers building trade balances and time series |
| Dashboards & data apps | Builders feeding country-by-commodity trade into their own tools |
### How to use it
1. Enter one or more **reporter countries** (name or ISO code) and **partner countries** (or `World` for totals).
2. Pick a **trade flow** (exports, imports or both), a **frequency** (annual or monthly) and the **periods**.
3. Add **commodity HS codes** (`TOTAL` for all goods, or codes like `27`, `85` to break trade down by product).
4. Set **Max Records** and run. Export as JSON, CSV or Excel, or pull it through the Apify API.
### Frequently Asked Questions
**Do I need an account or key?**
No. It runs out of the box on the free public data. If you have your own free access key, paste it into the optional field to unlock full historical data and higher volume.
**How do I get a country's total trade instead of one partner?**
Set the partner to `World`. That returns each reporter's total trade for the chosen flow, period and commodity.
**Can I break trade down by product?**
Yes. List HS commodity codes (for example `27` for mineral fuels or `85` for electrical machinery), or use a more detailed code for a specific product. Use `TOTAL` for all goods combined.
**What do the values mean?**
`tradeValueUsd` is the trade value in current US dollars. For imports you may also get CIF value, and for exports FOB value, where the reporting country provides them.
**Will I be charged if a run finds nothing?**
No. You are only charged per real trade record returned. A run that matches no data produces no billable results.
### Export, API and AI agents (x402 + MCP)
Export the scraped data to **JSON, CSV or Excel**, pull it as a **dataset** through the Apify **API**, or wire it into your app with **no code**. This web scraper and data extractor also works for bulk data extraction and scheduled runs.
For AI agents: this Actor is available on **x402**, Apify's agentic payment standard built with Coinbase. An AI agent can discover, pay for and run it on its own with a funded wallet and a single HTTP request: no account, no subscription, no API key and no human in the loop. It also runs as an **MCP** tool inside Claude, Cursor and other AI clients out of the box. Learn more about [x402 agentic payments on Apify](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/x402).
### Related scrapers
- [World Bank Indicators Scraper](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/world-bank-indicators-scraper)
- [USAspending Federal Award & Contract Scraper](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/usaspending-awards-scraper)
- [Yahoo Finance Scraper](https://apify.com/scrapers_lat/yahoo-finance-scraper)
### More scrapers at scrapers.lat
This actor is built and maintained by [scrapers.lat](https://scrapers.lat), where we publish scrapers for public platforms: finance, news, real estate, jobs, e-commerce and government data. Browse the full catalog or ask us for a custom scraper at [scrapers.lat](https://scrapers.lat).
***
> This actor is an independent tool and has no affiliation with the United Nations or UN Comtrade. It only accesses publicly available trade statistics. Use the results in accordance with the source's terms.
# Actor input Schema
## `reporters` (type: `array`):
Countries that report the trade (the exporter for exports, the importer for imports). Enter one or more as a country name, ISO code (e.g. USA, DEU, CHN) or numeric code. One run covers every reporter you list.
## `partners` (type: `array`):
The trade counterpart countries. Use 'World' to get each reporter's total trade, or list specific partners by name or ISO code (e.g. China, Canada, MEX).
## `flow` (type: `string`):
Which flow to return: exports, imports, both, or re-exports / re-imports.
## `frequency` (type: `string`):
Annual totals or monthly figures. For monthly, enter periods as YYYYMM (e.g. 202401).
## `periods` (type: `array`):
Years (e.g. 2023) for annual, or months as YYYYMM (e.g. 202401) for monthly. List several to compare over time.
## `commodityCodes` (type: `array`):
Harmonized System (HS) commodity codes to return. Use 'TOTAL' for all goods, a 2-digit chapter (e.g. 27 = mineral fuels, 85 = electronics) or a more detailed code. List several to break trade down by product.
## `maxRecords` (type: `integer`):
Maximum number of trade records to return across the whole run.
## `apiToken` (type: `string`):
Optional. Leave empty to use the free public preview (recent data). Provide your own free UN Comtrade subscription key to unlock full historical data and higher volume.
## Actor input object example
```json
{
"reporters": [
"USA"
],
"partners": [
"World"
],
"flow": "export",
"frequency": "annual",
"periods": [
"2023"
],
"commodityCodes": [
"TOTAL"
],
"maxRecords": 200
}
```
# Actor output Schema
## `results` (type: `string`):
No description
# API
You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.
## JavaScript example
```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';
// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
token: '',
});
// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
"reporters": [
"USA"
],
"partners": [
"World"
],
"periods": [
"2023"
],
"commodityCodes": [
"TOTAL"
],
"maxRecords": 200
};
// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("scrapers_lat/un-comtrade-trade-data-scraper").call(input);
// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
console.dir(item);
});
// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs
```
## Python example
```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient
# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("")
# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
"reporters": ["USA"],
"partners": ["World"],
"periods": ["2023"],
"commodityCodes": ["TOTAL"],
"maxRecords": 200,
}
# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("scrapers_lat/un-comtrade-trade-data-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)
# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
print(item)
# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start
```
## CLI example
```bash
echo '{
"reporters": [
"USA"
],
"partners": [
"World"
],
"periods": [
"2023"
],
"commodityCodes": [
"TOTAL"
],
"maxRecords": 200
}' |
apify call scrapers_lat/un-comtrade-trade-data-scraper --silent --output-dataset
```
## MCP server setup
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"apify": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,scrapers_lat/un-comtrade-trade-data-scraper"
}
}
}
```
The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer ` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).
## OpenAPI specification
Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/AAMEDcO5cl8hspeVJ/builds/byVGgdZeVhLoKGB0S/openapi.json