Due to the expiration of the specialised statistics on iron and steel by 31 December 2009 division 24 (“Basic metals”) of the Product Classification for Production Statistics, issue 2009 (GP 2009), had to be revised extensively in its class 2410 (“Basic iron and steel and ferro-alloys”). The other parts of GP 2009 remained unchanged. The updated Product Classification for Production Statistics, issue 2009 (GP 2009, Vers. 2012), is used since 1 January 2012.

GP 2009, Vers. 2012, provides a basis for the publication of data concerning produced goods and services in the area of mining and quarrying and manufacturing. Such information is (among other things) needed by enterprises and in sciences in order to analyse and assess labour markets and market opportunities. Furthermore its linkage with the Commodity Classification for Foreign Trade Statistics (WA) gives the opportunity to compare data of production statistics and foreign trade statistics, for example in order to determine the domestic availability of goods or to analyse the dependence on imports of certain merchandise markets. Moreover in its scope GP 2009, Vers. 2012, can generally help for the demarcation of the content of activities of the Classification of Economic Activities, issue 2008 (WZ 2008).

The products covered by GP 2009, Vers. 2012, include (in addition to (transportable) goods) so called industrial services (installation, repair, maintenance and finishing). GP 2009, Vers. 2012, is hierarchically structured and includes at its lowest level 5208 types of products (nine-digit items), which allow for a statistical classification of the produced goods and industrial services. The actual classification codes which are used by enterprises and local units when reporting to production surveys are assigned to the types of products.