PLEASE NOTE: Only steps 1 & 2 have been actioned - we have removed all duplicate UN codes and all incorrect two-digit UN codes. At this time, we are not going to add and maintain all UN codes for ports. Clients building integrations can utilize rnportno or similar as a unique identifier. If a client wants an UN Code update to a set of ports (ideally in batch, eg for a whole country), they can request and we will evaluate as a one-time update.

Timeline of Changes

Veson Nautical is continuing its commitment to data standardization for the Veson client base. The first step in achieving this is the standardization of the UN codes in our Distances database. The process is comprised of multiple steps that are going to be rolled out in the following manner:

By September 24th: removal of duplicate UN codes (list of changes attached)
By October 1st: removal of the two-digit codes
By November 1st: addition of the official UN codes to the official port names as designated by the UN
By December 15th: required update to all client distances tables

Explanation of Changes

Removal of duplicate codes

There have been over 800 instances when a unique UN code was used multiple times in the system because of similar port names. For example, there were multiple ports that included the word “Houston” in their names, and each port had Houston’s UN code. In this example, we removed the duplicates and only kept one UN code for the port of Houston. By September 24th, we will be removing all duplicate UN codes.

Removal of two-digit codes

There were multiple ports that had two-digit UN codes that were usually the country code. This was used to accommodate integrations or fill in the gaps. However, there is a tag in the FullPorts.xml file <country> that includes the two-digit country code and should be used to reference in integrations instead of the UN code.

Addition of official UN codes

For ports that previously didn’t have UN codes, but have one as assigned by the UN, we will compare the official UN lists and update our database with the appropriate codes. The full UN list can be found here: https://unece.org/trade/cefact/unlocode-code-list-country-and-territory

Risks and questions

These changes will most likely have the greatest effect on existing integrations. We highly recommend applying these changes to a test environment first to make sure the integrations are functioning. If needed, we are able to revert your distances version to the previous one.

These changes will only appear in IMOS or VIP systems after the Distances update, regardless if you use IMOS or VIP. These changes will be immediately available for the clients who subscribe to Distances API Web Service, Veslink Distances, and Veslink API.

To request a Distances update in your system, please contact support@veson.com.

IMOS On-Prem

IMOS On-Prem - Data Standardization: UN Code Changes