The standard data elements included in this Directory are intended to facilitate an open interchange of data in international trade. These standard data elements can be used with any method for data interchange on paper documents as well as with other means of data processing and communication: they can be selected for transmission one by one, or used within a particular system of interchange rules, e.g. the United Nations rules for Electronic Data Interchange for Administration, Commerce and Transport (UN/EDIFACT), developed within the UN/CEFACT of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and published as International Standard ISO9735. This Directory has been compiled by the TDED Maintenance Agency (see Section 2 below), on the basis of the work within this UN/CEFACT, as well as work within other Maintenance Agency members as specially WCO and IMO. This edition has been adopted by Technical Committee ISO/TC 154 and the UN/CEFACT.