Trade statistics for international business development
Monthly, quarterly and yearly trade data. Import & export values, volumes, growth rates, market shares, etc.
Restricted access
Notes
Home & Search
Data Availability
Product data availability
Service data availability
Company data availability
Reference Material
User guide
FAQ
Glossary
Harmonized System correspondences
Data sources
Other ITC Tools
Market Access Map
Investment Map
Sustainability Map
Trade Competitiveness Map
Procurement Map
Export Potential Map
Market Price Information
ITC Market Analysis Portal
Rules of Origin Facilitator
More
Subscription options & fees
Terms & conditions
Developing countries and territories
Developed countries and territories
Videos
Trade Map Video Tutorials
ITC Market Analysis Tools
Testimonials
About Trade Map
English
Français
Español
العربية
Русский
Login
Product
TOTAL - All products
29 - Organic chemicals
... 2901 - Acyclic hydrocarbons
... 2902 - Cyclic hydrocarbons
... 2903 - Halogenated derivatives of hydrocarbons
... 2904 - Sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives of hydrocarbons, whether or not halogenated
... 2905 - Acyclic alcohols and their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives
... 2906 - Cyclic alcohols and their halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives
... 2907 - Phenols; phenol-alcohols
... 2908 - Halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives of phenols or phenol-alcohols
... 2909 - Ethers, ether-alcohols, ether-phenols, ether-alcohol-phenols, alcohol peroxides, ether ...
... 2910 - Epoxides, epoxyalcohols, epoxyphenols and epoxyethers, with a three-membered ring, and ...
... 2911 - Acetals and hemiacetals, whether or not with other oxygen function, and their halogenated, ...
... 2912 - Aldehydes, whether or not with other oxygen function; cyclic polymers of aldehydes; ...
... 2913 - Halogenated, sulphonated, nitrated or nitrosated derivatives of cyclic polymers of aldehydes ...
... 2914 - Ketones and quinones, whether or not with other oxygen function, and their halogenated, ...
... 2915 - Saturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids and their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and ...
... 2916 - Unsaturated acyclic monocarboxylic acids, cyclic monocarboxylic acids, their anhydrides, ...
... 2917 - Polycarboxylic acids, their anhydrides, halides, peroxides and peroxyacids; their halogenated, ...
... 2918 - Carboxylic acids with additional oxygen function and their anhydrides, halides, peroxides ...
... 2919 - Phosphoric esters and their salts, incl. lactophosphates; their halogenated, sulphonated, ...
... 2920 - Esters of inorganic acids of non-metals and their salts; their halogenated, sulphonated, ...
... 2921 - Amine-function compounds
... 2922 - Oxygen-function amino-compounds
... 2923 - Quaternary ammonium salts and hydroxides; lecithins and other phosphoaminolipids, whether ...
... 2924 - Carboxyamide-function compounds; amide-function compounds of carbonic acid
... 2925 - Carboxyimide-function compounds, incl. saccharin and its salts, and imine-function compounds
... 2926 - Nitrile-function compounds
... 2927 - Diazo-, azo- or azoxy-compounds
... 2928 - Organic derivatives of hydrazine or of hydroxylamine
... 2929 - Compounds with other nitrogen function (excl. amine-function compounds; oxygen-function ...
... 2930 - Organo-sulphur compounds
... 2931 - Separate chemically defined organo-inorganic compounds (excl. organo-sulphur compounds ...
... 2932 - Heterocyclic compounds with oxygen hetero-atom[s] only
... 2933 - Heterocyclic compounds with nitrogen hetero-atom[s] only
... 2934 - Nucleic acids and their salts, whether or not chemically defined; heterocyclic compounds ...
... 2935 - Sulphonamides
... 2936 - Provitamins and vitamins, natural or reproduced by synthesis, incl. natural concentrates, ...
... 2937 - Hormones, prostaglandins, thromboxanes and leukotrienes, natural or reproduced by synthesis; ...
... 2938 - Glycosides, natural or reproduced by synthesis, and their salts, ethers, esters and ...
... 2939 - Alkaloids, natural or reproduced by synthesis, and their salts, ethers, esters and other ...
... ... 293910 - Alkaloids of opium and their derivatives; salts thereof
... ... 293911 - Concentrates of poppy straw; buprenorphine "INN", codeine, dihydrocodeine "INN", ethylmorphine, ...
... ... 293919 - Alkaloids of opium and their derivatives, and salts thereof (excl. concentrates of ...
... ... 293920 - Alkaloids of cinchona and their derivatives; salts thereof
... ... 293921 - Quinine and its salts
... ... 293929 - Alkaloids of cinchons and their derivatives; salts thereof (excluding quinine and ...
... ... 293930 - Caffeine and its salts
... ... 293941 - Ephedrine and its salts
... ... 293942 - Pseudoephedrine "INN" and its salts
... ... 293943 - Cathine "INN" and its salts
... ... 293944 - Norephedrine and its salts
... ... 293945 - Levometamfetamine, metamfetamine "INN", metamfetamine racemate and their salts
... ... 293949 - Alkaloids of ephedra and their derivatives; salts thereof (excl. ephedrine, pseudoephedrine ...
... ... 293950 - Theophylline and aminophylline "theophylline-ethylenediamine" and their derivatives; ...
... ... 293951 - Fenetylline "INN" and its salts
... ... 293959 - Theophylline and aminophylline "theophylline-ethylenediamine" and their derivatives, ...
... ... 293961 - Ergometrine "INN" and its salts
... ... 293962 - Ergotamine "INN" and its salts
... ... 293963 - Lysergic acid and its salts
... ... 293969 - Alkaloids of rye ergot and their derivatives; salts thereof (excl. lysergic acid, ...
... ... 293970 - Nicotine and its salts
... ... 293971 - Cocaine, ecgonine, levometamfetamine, metamfetamine "INN", metamfetamine racemate, ...
... ... 293972 - Cocaine, ecgonine; salts, esters and other derivatives thereof
... ... 293979 - Vegetal alkaloids, natural or reproduced by synthesis, and their salts, ethers, esters ...
... ... 293980 - Non-vegetal alkaloids, natural or reproduced by synthesis, and their salts, ethers, ...
... ... 293990 - Vegetable alkaloids, natural or reproduced by synthesis, and their salts, ethers, ...
... ... 293991 - Cocaine, ecgonine, levometamfetamine, metamfetamine "INN", metamfetamine racemate, ...
... ... 293999 - Vegetable alkaloids, natural or reproduced by synthesis, and their salts, ethers, ...
... 2940 - Sugars, chemically pure (excluding sucrose, lactose, maltose, glucose and fructose); ...
... 2941 - Antibiotics
... 2942 - Separate chemically defined organic compounds, n.e.s.
Product Group
None
Agricultural products
Cotton
COVID-19 Disinfectants,medical consumables,vaccines related equipmnt
Covid-19 medical supplies
COVID-19 Vaccines,test kits,Instruments,apparatus for diagnostic test
Creative industries
Leather
Processed food and agro-based products
World
Country
All
Afghanistan
Africa not elsewhere specified
Albania
Algeria
America not elsewhere specified
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Area Nes
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Asia not elsewhere specified
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia, Plurinational State of
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Antarctic Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Caribbean Nes
Cayman Islands
Centr.Amer.Com.Market (CACM) Nes
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Curaçao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Europe not elsewhere specified
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Europe EFTA not elsewhere specified
Europe Othr. Nes
European Union Nes
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
Free Zones
French Polynesia
French Southern and Antarctic Territories
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guam
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong, China
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran, Islamic Republic of
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
Korea, Republic of
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
LAIA not elsewhere specified
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya, State of
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macao, China
Macedonia, North
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States of
Moldova, Republic of
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
Neutral Zone
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Africa not elsewhere specified
North America and Central America, nes
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oceania Nes
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine, State of
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Serbia and Montenegro
Seychelles
Ship stores and bunkers
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Sint Maarten (Dutch part)
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Spain
Special categories
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Sudan (before 2012)
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Syrian Arab Republic
Taipei, Chinese
Tajikistan
Tanzania, United Republic of
Territory not allocated
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Türkiye
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States Minor Outlying Islands
United States of America
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
Viet Nam
Wallis and Futuna Islands
West Asia not elsewhere specified
Western Sahara
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Country Group
None
Africa
African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)
African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group)
America
Andean Community
Asia
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA)
Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Black Sea Economic Cooperation Zone (BSEC)
Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC)
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS)
Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
Central American Common Market (CACM)
Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)
Central Asian Republics
Common Market for Eastern & Southern Africa (COMESA)
Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR)
Commonwealth - Member Countries
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
Customs and Economic Union of Central Africa (UDEAC)
Developed Market Economies
Developing - 8 (D-8)
Developing Market Economies
East African Community (EAC)
Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) (before 2025)
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)
Europe
European Union (EU 15)
European Union (EU 27)
European Union (EU 28)
G7
Greater China
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC)
Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC)
Latin America and the Caribbean
Latin American Integration Association (LAIA)
Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
Maghreb
Middle East
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
Oceania
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) - up until 2010
Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)
Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
Small Island Developing (SID)
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
Southern African Customs Union (SACU)
Southern African Development Community (SADC)
The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)
West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)
World Trade Organization (WTO)
Partner
All
Afghanistan
Africa not elsewhere specified
Albania
Algeria
America not elsewhere specified
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Area Nes
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Asia not elsewhere specified
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia, Plurinational State of
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Antarctic Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Caribbean Nes
Cayman Islands
Centr.Amer.Com.Market (CACM) Nes
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Curaçao
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
East Europe not elsewhere specified
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Europe EFTA not elsewhere specified
Europe Othr. Nes
European Union Nes
Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
Faroe Islands
Fiji
Finland
France
Free Zones
French Polynesia
French Southern and Antarctic Territories
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Grenada
Guam
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong, China
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran, Islamic Republic of
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of
Korea, Republic of
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
LAIA not elsewhere specified
Lao People's Democratic Republic
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya, State of
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macao, China
Macedonia, North
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States of
Moldova, Republic of
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
Netherlands Antilles
Neutral Zone
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Africa not elsewhere specified
North America and Central America, nes
Northern Mariana Islands
Norway
Oceania Nes
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine, State of
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Serbia and Montenegro
Seychelles
Ship stores and bunkers
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Sint Maarten (Dutch part)
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Spain
Special categories
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Sudan (before 2012)
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Syrian Arab Republic
Taipei, Chinese
Tajikistan
Tanzania, United Republic of
Territory not allocated
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Türkiye
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States Minor Outlying Islands
United States of America
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
Viet Nam
Wallis and Futuna Islands
West Asia not elsewhere specified
Western Sahara
World
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Partner Group
None
Africa
African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA)
African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group)
America
Andean Community
Asia
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA)
Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Black Sea Economic Cooperation Zone (BSEC)
Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC)
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS)
Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
Central American Common Market (CACM)
Central and Eastern Europe (CEE)
Central Asian Republics
Common Market for Eastern & Southern Africa (COMESA)
Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR)
Commonwealth - Member Countries
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
Customs and Economic Union of Central Africa (UDEAC)
Developed Market Economies
Developing - 8 (D-8)
Developing Market Economies
East African Community (EAC)
Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) (before 2025)
Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)
Europe
European Union (EU 15)
European Union (EU 27)
European Union (EU 28)
G7
Greater China
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC)
Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC)
Latin America and the Caribbean
Latin American Integration Association (LAIA)
Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
Maghreb
Middle East
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
Oceania
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) - up until 2010
Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)
Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
Small Island Developing (SID)
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
Southern African Customs Union (SACU)
Southern African Development Community (SADC)
The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)
West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU)
World Trade Organization (WTO)
other criteria
Exports
Imports
Trade indicators
Yearly time series
Quarterly time series
Monthly time series
Companies
by country
by product
by service
Direct data
Mirror data
List of importing markets for the product exported by India in 2024
Product: 2939 Alkaloids, natural or reproduced by synthesis, and their salts, ethers, esters and other d ...
India's exports represent
13.9%
of world exports for this product, its ranking in world exports is
2
The average distance of importing countries is
7350 km
and the export concentration is
0.05
Table
Graph
Map
Companies
Download:
Rows per page
Default (25 per page)
50 per page
100 per page
200 per page
300 per page
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Bilateral trade at 4-digit
Importers
Value exported in 2024 (USD thousand)
Trade balance 2024 (USD thousand)
Share in India's exports (%)
Quantity exported in 2024
Quantity unit
Unit value (USD/unit)
Growth in exported value between 2020-2024 (%, p.a.)
Growth in exported quantity between 2020-2024 (%, p.a.)
Growth in exported value between 2023-2024 (%, p.a.)
Ranking of partner countries in world imports
Share of partner countries in world imports (%)
Total imports growth in value of partner countries between 2020-2024 (%, p.a.)
Average distance between partner countries and all their supplying markets (km)
Concentration of all supplying countries of partner countries
Average tariff (estimated) faced by India (%)
World
303,310
177,795
100
6,817
Tons
44,493
5
7
8
100
7
United States of America
44,975
37,433
14.8
1,025
Tons
43,878
-2
1
19
1
19
2
9,422
0.12
0
Belgium
18,780
15,332
6.2
543
Tons
34,586
14
1
-25
21
1.3
6
5,883
0.53
0
Switzerland
18,414
17,678
6.1
124
Tons
148,500
-1
5
-6
6
3.7
11
3,649
0.22
0
Poland
14,947
14,290
4.9
203
Tons
73,631
15
21
57
18
1.5
10
3,867
0.28
0
Italy
14,513
7,315
4.8
269
Tons
53,952
1
19
-2
3
7.3
25
5,768
0.2
0
Netherlands
14,374
14,368
4.7
420
Tons
34,224
31
12
764
17
1.5
2
4,004
0.14
0
Russian Federation
10,646
10,646
3.5
235
Tons
45,302
56
16
10
22
1.2
13
3,435
0.2
5
Germany
9,482
4,188
3.1
80
Tons
118,525
5
-18
48
2
9.5
15
4,325
0.19
0
Türkiye
9,304
8,682
3.1
46
Tons
202,261
10
17
-6
23
1.1
-7
4,891
0.47
0
Egypt
8,586
8,586
2.8
308
Tons
27,877
13
29
-6
33
0.6
-37
4,790
0.45
2
China
8,183
-57
2.7
131
Tons
62,466
7
31
-14
10
2.5
11
5,538
0.22
4
Brazil
8,148
8,058
2.7
382
Tons
21,330
8
16
39
8
3.3
4
12,057
0.16
2.2
Pakistan
7,485
7,485
2.5
212
Tons
35,307
13
2
36
29
0.8
5
3,496
0.3
4.4
Korea, Republic of
6,886
6,886
2.3
98
Tons
70,265
23
33
-5
14
1.9
15
6,668
0.12
0
Ireland
6,792
6,402
2.2
337
Tons
20,154
41
96
-15
9
2.8
15
3,398
0.46
0
Bangladesh
6,403
6,403
2.1
307
Tons
20,857
6
3
32
42
0.4
4
2,889
0.49
United Arab Emirates
5,930
5,930
2
0
No quantity
34
91
40
0.4
26
3,690
0.4
0
Taipei, Chinese
5,791
5,217
1.9
103
Tons
56,223
6
11
-25
28
0.8
8
4,689
0.24
0
Mexico
5,428
3,760
1.8
206
Tons
26,350
5
10
-49
19
1.5
-2
11,134
0.24
0
Indonesia
4,596
3,931
1.5
112
Tons
41,036
6
-8
8
26
0.9
1
6,645
0.17
0.1
Japan
4,452
4,194
1.5
40
Tons
111,300
-1
-7
68
7
3.4
-1
8,194
0.11
0
France
4,349
-8,097
1.4
66
Tons
65,894
9
5
-3
13
1.9
2
2,756
0.1
0
Spain
3,625
-3,688
1.2
86
Tons
42,151
-4
6
-14
20
1.4
9
3,550
0.12
0
United Kingdom
3,472
934
1.1
42
Tons
82,667
-5
-27
64
5
4.7
7
5,831
0.11
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Sources: ITC calculations based on
Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence & Statistics
statistics.
Rate this page:
1
2
3
4
5
Did you find the information you were looking for?
Yes
No
Partially
Additional comments: