International trade in goods: documentation of statistics
Data description
The Statistics on international trade in goods published by Finnish Customs is the official source of information on Finland's imports, exports, and trade balance. International trade in goods refers to the sale and purchase of physical goods to and from foreign countries. The trade balance is the difference between the value of exports and imports.
International trade in goods statistics are included in Official Statistics of Finland (OFS) and in the European Statistical System (ESS).
Statistical presentation
The statistics on international trade in goods describe the trade in goods between Finland and other EU Member States and between Finland and third countries, i.e. intra-EU, and extra-EU trade. In the statistics on international trade in goods, the data are combined.
Preliminary data and detailed data are published monthly. The statistics on international trade in goods are based on EU regulations and the compilation follows the recommendations of Eurostat's ITGS manual (European business statistics compilers’ manual for international trade in goods statistics). Eurostat’s compilation principles for international trade statistics on goods broadly follow the recommendations of the United Nations’ IMTS manual (International Merchandise Trade Statistics).
Statistical population
The statistical population consists of all companies and actors engaged in international trade of goods in Finland. The requirement is that the goods physically cross the Finnish border.
Statistical unit
The statistical unit is an independent economical unit.
Unit of measure
The import and export of goods are measured in monetary terms and at current prices, and the unit of measure used is the euro. The unit of measure in preliminary statistics is million euros.
Reference period
The statistics on international trade in goods are compiled monthly.
Reference area
The reference area of the statistics is Finland, the cross-border imports and exports of goods.
Sector coverage
The statistics on the international trade in goods cover the export and import of goods by units operating in Finland with foreign units.
Time coverage
The data on international trade in goods are available in electronic format since the statistical year 1987. Older data can be found in archive collections on paper or in microfiche format. The oldest complete data on the total value are published in yearbooks from 1856 onwards.
Frequency of dissemination
The data of the statistics on international trade in goods are distributed monthly as a statistical publication and as a database release. The statistics are published as preliminary data and detailed data. The statistical database also provides access to cumulative data from the beginning of the current year, quarterly and annually.
Concepts and definitions
As a rule, all goods exported from and imported into Finland are recorded in the statistics. The prerequisites for including goods in the statistics are that the goods physically arrive in or depart from the country. Exceptions are ships and aircraft, which are recorded in the statistics after a change of ownership. Excluded from the statistics are, for example goods in transit. In addition, the smallest export companies are released from the obligation to declare statistical data on intra-EU trade.
The information on Finland’s export to other EU countries is collected from statistical declarations submitted by companies via the Intrastat system. Every month, exporters submit the statistical data on their intra-EU trade to Customs. Until the end of the statistical year 2025, data on import was also collected from statistical declarations submitted by companies via the Intrastat system.
From the beginning of the statistical year 2026, imports arriving from EU countries will be compiled based on export data collected by other EU Member States. Each Member State sends its export data concerning EU countries to a data hub maintained by Eurostat, from which other Member States retrieve their own data.
Data on the goods trade between Finland and third countries is obtained from customs declarations, which must be submitted for all import and export consignments. The Åland Islands are not part of the EU value added tax system (VAT) and therefore not part of the Intrastat system. For this reason, the basic information on the goods trade between Åland and the Member States is collected with the customs clearance procedure for extra-EU trade. The customs clearance procedure is also used for collecting data on Finland's trade with other areas outside the EU's VAT system. The data on both intra-EU trade and extra-EU trade are combined when compiling the statistics on the international trade of Finland.
The monthly export figures are estimated by considering the number of missing statistical declarations and the share of companies below the threshold. Each EU Member State determines the export threshold, i.e. the statistical limit, based on the value of companies' annual exports per calendar year. According to EU regulations, data on exports must be collected in such a way that 95 per cent of the total value of exports is based on statistical declarations submitted by companies or based on administrative materials. In 2026, Finland’s threshold for exports is EUR 800,000 per year. Companies with an export value below the threshold are released from the obligation to declare.
Each Member State estimates its own number of missing declarations and export data below the threshold. Import figures include estimates calculated by other Member States from 2026 onwards. Figures published before 2026 include estimates of the share of companies below the threshold calculated by Customs.
The statistics on international trade in goods are compiled in imports by country of origin and country of dispatch. The country of origin is the country where the goods were manufactured or where the latest economically significant part of the manufacture has taken place. The country of dispatch is marked as the country of origin of goods returned to Finland, as well as in transactions where the country of origin cannot be identified. The country of origin for ships and aircraft is indicated as the country in which the previous holder of economic ownership was established.
At the time of export, the country of destination is the last known country to which the goods are to be exported from Finland, either directly or via another country. In exports, the country of destination of ships and aircraft is indicated as the country where the next holder of economic ownership is established.
The data of the statistics on international trade in goods are published according to the statistical value concept. In export, this means the FOB value of the goods (free on board) and in import the CIF value (cost, insurance, and freight) at the Finnish border. The value data do not contain taxes and duties collected in Finland. The statistical value is used as a uniform measure in all Member States and is also in line with the UN recommendations for statistics on international trade in goods.
The primary measurement unit of goods is the net quantity in kilograms. For certain goods, a secondary measurement unit is also used, such as piece, pair, square metre, etc. The measurement units and their codes are available on Customs’ website Quantity units.
The trade balance is the difference between the value of exports and imports. If the value of exports is higher than the value of imports, the trade balance is in surplus, and in deficit if the value of imports is greater than the value of exports.
Classifications
The compilation of statistics on goods is based on the Combined Nomenclature (CN) of the EU. In the Combined Nomenclature, there are approximately 9,700 commodity codes at the most accurate level. Data are available at classification levels CN2, CN4, CN6 and CN8 in the statistical database. The 8-digit level of the CN classification is the most detailed classification used to publish statistics on international trade in goods.
Finnish Customs also publishes data on international trade in goods with other international classifications. The data is derived from the CN8 classification data with correlation tables published on Customs’ website Nomenclatures and classifications, quantity units.
The SITC statistics are compiled according to the UN classification standard for international trade (Standard International Trade Classification (SITC, Rev. 4, from 2007). The SITC classification data is derived from the Combined Nomenclature (CN) in accordance with UN definitions. At the most detailed level, the SITC classification contains 2,970 goods categories.
The CPA statistics show the structure of import and export by product category according to activity (Classification of Products by Activities, CPA). The CPA classification data is derived from the Combined Nomenclature, CN.
Classification by Broad Economic Categories (BEC) is a classification maintained by the UN that is based on the SITC nomenclature and groups goods according to their macroeconomic end-use.
NACE statistics include data in accordance with the standard Industrial Classification of companies (Nomenclature générale des Activités économiques dans les Communautés européennes, NACE 2002).
The country classification is based on the EU Regulation on the country classification of statistics on extra-EU trade and trade between Member States. The country codes comply with those of the ISO/DIS 3166 standard of the International Organization for Standardization.
Accuracy, reliability, and timeliness
Accuracy and reliability
The data in the statistics on international trade in goods have been collected from several sources. Therefore, the quality of the source data is crucial for the reliability of the data in the statistics. The most significant sources of errors detected are incorrect or incomplete information provided in Intrastat declarations. The data in customs declarations may also be deficient. Data collected by other Member States on exports to Finland, which are used as source material for EU imports, may also show errors. Errors are corrected during the data validation process whenever possible.
Statistics released monthly are preliminary. The figures change as the basic data are completed and the data are still being checked, until the statistical year is closed in August of the year following the statistical year.
Timeliness
The preliminary data of the statistics on international trade in goods are released 40 days and the detailed data no later than 60 days after the end of the statistical month. A statistical publication and an update to the Uljas statistical database will be released on the website at the same time.
Punctuality
There has been no delay between the release calendar and the actual release date.
Completeness
Data of the international trade statistics on goods are available to the extent that they are reported to Eurostat. Customs may release data that is more detailed than the Eurostat requirements.
Processing error
Possible errors in the released statistics may include, among other things, incorrect figures presented in the texts, diagrams, or tables of the releases, or the use of incorrect concepts. Unlike revisions of data, error situations are unexpected deviations from normal statistical production. Errors are corrected and the users are informed of these as soon as possible. Customs reports significant errors to the same extent and using the same channels as when releasing the actual data.
A note about the correction and information about the time of the correction are added to the corrected statistical publications. If possible, the original incorrect information is also left visible. Spelling and other formal errors in the statistics are corrected as quickly and flexibly as possible, and they are not indicated separately on the website. Changes to the statistical database are reported in the Uljas database on the front page.
Schedule deviations are also counted as error situations. If the publication of statistical data is significantly delayed from the announced date, the delay is reported on the website of Customs' statistics.
Comparability
Comparability - geographical
The data of the statistics on the international trade in goods are geographically comparable due to international statistical standards.
The data of the statistics on the international trade in goods are classified by country and into different country groups. There may be asymmetries between two countries due to different data sources in different countries, classification interpretations, or incompleteness of data in declarations. By definition, the exports of one country should correspond to the imports of a partner country. The aim is to reduce asymmetries in cooperation, especially with other EU countries.
Comparability - over time
The statistics have been compiled in accordance with international statistical standards and Eurostat's manual on the international trade in goods, which guarantees the comparability of the statistics over time at the level of total value.
The comparability of time series at the detailed levels of different classifications is affected by changes in definitions, methods, classifications, and other similar statistical principles. The impact of the changes on the continuity of time series is impossible to avoid in the statistics on the international trade in goods. The effect of changes in methods and classifications is greater the more detailed the level at which the statistics are used. For example, data by commodity code at the 8-digit level of the Combined Nomenclature (CN) by country are susceptible to changes in commodity and country classifications, even annually.
In 2026, a new data collection method MDE (microdata exchange) was introduces for imports from EU countries. Export data collected by different EU Member States on exports to Finland, completely replaced the import data previously collected from Finnish companies. The values or quantities of imports during 2026 are not comparable by country, country group or at more detailed levels of different classifications to the previous year's data. At the total value level, the value of imports is comparable with the previous year.
Coherence - cross domain
The data of the statistics on the international trade in goods are used in the balance of payments compiled by Statistics Finland and in the compilation of the statistics on the international trade in goods and services. The balance of payments is, in turn, part of the national accounts.
The statistics on international trade in goods published by Finnish Customs differ by definition from international trade in balance of payments. International trade statistics measure cross-border changes in international trade and ship ownership, while balance of payments measures changes in ownership.
Source data and data collections
Source data
Statistics on international trade in goods are compiled from many sources. The main sources are direct data collections, administrative data and data collected by other EU countries on exports to Finland. Data obtained from other sources are also used as source material for the statistics.
The Intrastat system is Customs’ direct data collection system for statistics. Until the end of the statistical year 2025, statistical data on both imports and exports of intra-EU trade were collected using the Intrastat system. From the beginning of the statistical year 2026, intra-EU export data are collected with the Intrastat system.
From the beginning of the statistical year 2026, the source data for imports from EU countries are primarily export data collected by other EU Member States to Finland. Each Member State sends its export data concerning EU countries to a data hub maintained by Eurostat, from which other Member States retrieve data of their own country.
The source material for goods trade between Finland and non-EU countries is customs clearance material. The export and import declaration data is retrieved from Customs' centralised data warehouse at row-level.
The vessel register is the source material for ships and aircraft, when determining the change of ownership of them in connection with export or import transactions. The source material of the export and import data on electricity and gaseous gas consist of the operators’ data to which Finnish Customs has access.
Data collection method
The data for the statistics are mainly collected from three different sources: the Intrastat data collection system, data sent by EU Member States on exports to Finland, and customs declarations. Data on the change of ownership for ships and aircraft is collected from the vessel register, data for electricity and gaseous gas from operators.
The data are collected at the unit level by company and at row-level.
Frequency of data collection
The data are collected monthly.
Statistical data protection
Data protection is a fundamental principle of statistical activity, which ensures access to reliable basic data and the trust of data providers. Attending to the protection of data is a prerequisite for the trust Finnish Customs must have when collecting data.
Methods
Data processing
The statistical data are processed in accordance with the statistical production process of Finnish Customs.
Data validation
The statistical data are validated in accordance with the statistical production process of Finnish Customs. The validation process is based on the EBS Regulation (2019/2152), which is binding on all EU Member States.
The source material for extra-EU imports and exports and intra-EU exports, are analysed in terms of validity and credibility errors, as well as in terms of missing data. The analysis is carried out at the company level and declaration row levels. Based on the EBS Regulation, materials received from EU countries are, as a rule, ready for analysis, so they are only checked for outlier observations. If deviations are detected, the declarant or the sending Member State is requested to correct the information.
The accepted source materials are combined and analysed again as a whole. If deviating changes or values are detected at this stage, the cause is determined by returning to a unit-level review if necessary. Before 2026, intra-EU import data were also validated in the same way as the intra-EU export data.
The statistical data for the calendar year are confirmed by the end of August of the following year, after which revisions to the data for the statistical year are no longer possible.
Documentation on methodology
In the compilation of both the preliminary and detailed statistics Eurostat recommendations are followed. They are documented in yearly updated manuals:
- European business statistics compilers’ manual for international trade in goods statistics – detailed data
- European business statistics compilers’ manual for international trade in goods statistics – aggregated data
Principles and outlines
Organisation
Finnish Customs
Contact organisation unit
Information and Technology Department/Statistics and Information Services Unit
Legal acts
Provisions by Finnish Customs on the compilation of statistics on the international trade in goods are laid down in the Customs Act (304/2016). The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act (280/04). In addition to the Statistics Act, the Data Protection Act and the Act on the Openness of Government Activities are applied to the processing of data in the production of statistics. When compiling statistics, Finnish Customs applies the following EU statistical regulations, which guide the agencies that produce statistics in all EU countries.
- Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics, repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 laying down technical specifications and arrangements pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics repealing 10 legal acts in the field of business statistics
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/1704 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council by further specifying the details for the statistical information to be provided by tax and customs authorities and amending its Annexes V and VI
- Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1225 specifying the arrangements for the data exchanges pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council and amending Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197, as regards the Member State of extra-Union export and the obligations of reporting units
- The country classification is based on the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1470 on the nomenclature of countries and territories for the European statistics on the international trade in goods and on the geographical breakdown for other business statistics. The country codes comply with those of the ISO 3166 standard of the International Organization for Standardization.
Confidentiality - policy
Provisions on the data protection of data collected for statistical purposes are laid down in the Statistics Act (280/2004), the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999), the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679 and the Data Protection Act (1050/2018).
The statistical data are protected by the physical and technical solutions required at all stages of processing. Finnish Customs has drawn up detailed regulations and instructions for the confidential treatment of information. Staff only have access to information necessary for their duties. Outsiders do not have access to the premises where the material is processed. All individuals who compile statistics on the international trade in goods have signed a pledge of secrecy, in which they undertake to keep confidential the information required to be kept secret under the Statistics Act or the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.
Confidentiality - data treatment
The information materials are protected by the physical and technical solutions required at all stages of processing. The company and row-specific data in the statistical material are confidential. The data is only processed by persons who need the data in their work. The use of the data is limited by usage rights. The publications of the statistics on the international trade in goods comply with the guidelines for the protection of business data based on the principles of statistical ethics of the official statistics of Finland and the law.
All EU Member States have their own national procedures and guidelines in place to ensure the confidentiality of information. Companies can get the data related to trade suppressed, if company-specific information can be identified from the publications and it would cause harm to the company's business operation.
In the processing of confidential information, information concerning a single trader or transaction can be suppressed by aggregating statistical data before they are released. In certain situations, the information may have to be completely suppressed in the case of quantitative information or country-specific information on a specific commodity code.
Finnish Customs only suppresses statistical data on request by the trading company. Suppression is granted, if the research of the data in the trade statistics supports the company's request in such a way that the company's transaction is clearly revealed in the statistics. Normally, this means a case where there are fewer than three companies in one statistical category or the company that made the claim in question is dominant, i.e. represents at least 75% of the total value of the statistical category. The suppressions are reviewed annually for each statistical year. Whether the information is partially or fully suppressed, the total value information of the suppressed commodities is released. Thus, the value data on imports and exports released in the statistics are not under-covered because of suppressions.
The methodological change in import data collection also affects import commodity codes starting from the statistical year 2026. Since each EU Member State determines their own export suppressions, which Finnish Customs must comply with when statistics are compiled on EU countries, there is more suppressed data on imports than before.
Release policy
Finnish Customs releases statistical publications and database updates on weekdays at 09.00 on its website in Finnish, Swedish and English. The time of publication of the statistics are stated in advance in the release calendar found on the website.
Data sharing
The published data from the statistics on international trade in goods are transmitted to Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Union (EU). Data are provided to Statistics Finland for the compilation of balance of payments and statistics on international trade in goods and services, as well as for the information service. The statistical data is provided to other customers as agreed.
Data published by Finnish Customs are used, for example by the OECD, the IMF, and the UN. Organisations publish the data of the statistics in their own publication channels.
Other data distribution
In addition to statistical releases, data from the statistics can be published on social media.
Accessibility and clarity
Both the preliminary and the detailed data of international trade in goods statistics, statistical data are published simultaneously as a statistical publication and a database release monthly. Both the preliminary publication and the monthly publication are available in three languages, Finnish, Swedish and English, and they present the key data of the statistics at aggregated levels. The language versions of statistical publications are more limited than those in Finnish. The data can be searched from the statistical database in Finnish, Swedish and English, and the data are consistent in all three languages.
Both the statistical publications and the database are also updated with all data from the open statistical months in connection with each release.
Any changes to the timetable and corrections related to the releases and database data are communicated with change releases on Finnish Customs’ website.
Data users can subscribe to the statistical publications published on the Finnish Customs website to their email.
Data revision - policy
Revisions, i.e. improvements in the accuracy of statistical data already published, are a normal feature of statistical production and result in improved quality of statistics. The principle is that statistical data are based on the best available data and information concerning the statistical phenomenon. The reason why data in statistical releases become revised is often caused by the data becoming supplemented. Errors detected in the material are also corrected. Then the new, revised statistical figure is based on a wider information basis and describes the phenomenon more accurately than before.
Preliminary data on the international trade in goods are published 40 days after the end of the statistical month. In this case, enough data has been accumulated for the results of the statistics to be considered to reliably indicate the level and trend of the value of imports and exports of goods. Detailed data are published 60 days after the end of the statistical month, when the data have already been supplemented. Changes in the data can both increase and decrease the statistical value. In 2023, the value of imports was supplemented by 0.6 per cent from preliminary data to detailed data. In 2024, the value of imports was supplemented by 0.6 and by 0.4 per cent in 2025. In 2023, the value of exports was supplemented by 0.3 per cent from preliminary data to detailed data. In 2024, the value of exports was supplemented by -1.2 per cent and by 0.3 per cent in 2025.
When comparing the values of preliminary import data with the final figures published in connection with the closure of the statistical year, when the statistical data have been supplemented for several months, the revisions are slightly larger. Exports were revised by 0.8 per cent and imports by 1.5 per cent in 2023. In 2024, the corresponding figure for exports was 1.8 per cent and for imports 2.2 per cent.
Finnish Customs communicates on the website about larger revisions known in advance.
User needs
The figures of the statistics on international trade in goods provide key information for forecasting economic developments, monitoring economic policy and decision-making, informing the public about the development of international trade in goods, and as a source for economic research. International trade in good data is also used in trade policy preparation. At the national level, other producers of statistics, ministries, scientific communities, economists, and companies operating in Finland are the most significant users of the statistics on the international trade in goods.
User satisfaction
A customer satisfaction survey is carried out based on Finnish Customs' statistics approximately every three years, based on the responses of which the aim is to develop the content and usability of Finnish Customs' statistics website, statistical publications, and statistical database. The media's reactions to Finnish Customs' statistical releases are monitored regularly.
Quality documentation
The quality documentation is based on the national practice of Official Statistics of Finland and the Eurostat Code of Practise. Quality documentation is available on the Finnish Customs Statistics website in connection with each statistic.
Quality assessment
The Official Advisory Board of Statistics of Finland, which includes Finland's key public statistical producer agencies, has published guidelines and recommendations on the quality assurance of statistics. The producers of Official Statistics of Finland have approved a common quality assurance. In the quality assurance, Finnish Customs has committed to common quality criteria and quality assurance measures. These are compatible with the European Statistics Code of Practice and the Quality Assurance Framework.
Quality assurance
Quality management requires comprehensive guidance of activities. The quality management framework of the field of statistics is the European Statistics Code of Practice. The quality criteria of Official Statistics of Finland are compatible with the European Statistics Code of Practice.
User access
Data are released to all users at the same time. Statistical data may only be handled by persons involved in the production of the statistics concerned, or who need the data of the statistics concerned in their own work before the data are published. Statistics affecting capital and money markets: The Act on the Openness of Government Activities (section 24, subsection 1, paragraph 13, in Finnish and Swedish) stipulates that statistics describing the development of the national economy and other documents containing information that may apparently have an impact on the capital and financial markets are confidential before the data have been published. Regarding the statistics on the international trade in goods, separate lists of persons entitled to process the data are maintained.
Finnish Customs is the producer of the materials and the copyright holder.