Quality description: International trade transports

1. Relevance of the statistical data

1.1 Data content and use of the statistics

International trade transports statistics provide information on the transport volumes of Finnish imports and exports by mode of transport and by goods category, as well as by country of destination and departure. The statistics show the volumes of Finnish imports and exports in tonnes and the statistical values of the goods carried. The data is sorted by mode of transport according to the active means of transport used for importing or exporting goods across the border. The data has also been grouped according to country and goods category. The statistical material also includes returned and repaired goods. Transits are not included in the international trade transports statistics.

The statistics on external trade container traffic include data on container traffic between Finland and non-EU countries by countries of departure (import) and by countries of destination (export). The statistics contain all the countries outside the EU in 2002. In other respects, the statistics on external trade container traffic correspond to the statistics on mode of transport.

1.2 Central concepts and classifications

The compilation of statistics on commodities is based on the UN's Standard International Trade Classification, SITC, Rev. Rev.4, as of 2007. 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.

1.3 Laws and regulations

There is no legal basis for the compilation of international trade transports statistics.

2. Method description

The data on mode of transport is collected from the data provided by businesses on their statistical declarations on intra-EU trade and the data provided in external trade customs declarations. The data on both internal and external trade are combined when compiling the Finnish international trade statistics. The data on transport modes is also combined then.

3. Correctness and accuracy of the data

The international trade transports statistics are published monthly. As a rule, all goods exported from and imported into Finland are recorded in the statistics. The prerequisite for inclusion in the statistics is that the goods physically arrive in or depart from this country.

The statistics published in the Uljas statistical database are revised monthly until the closing of the statistical year.

4. Timeliness and punctuality of the published data

The international trade transports statistics are published monthly in the Uljas statistical database.

An annual survey on the international trade transports statistics is published in March - April following the statistical year. The publication is available on the Finnish Customs website.

5. Accessibility and transparency of the data

More information on international trade transports and on other international trade statistics is available on the Finnish Customs website, under ‘Statistics.’ On these pages, you find e.g. the principles of the collection of international trade statistics as well as all the statistics, surveys and notices on Finland’s international trade in goods, published by Finnish Customs.

Further information is also available from the Statistics Service:
- telephone: 0295 52335
- e-mail: statistics[at]tulli.fi
- website: tulli.fi
- Uljas Statistical database: uljas.tulli.fi

6. Comparability of the statistics

The data has been collected since 1965. The statistics are available in the Uljas database since 2002.

7. Clarity and integrity/coherence

The data on mode of transport is collected from the data provided by businesses on their statistical declarations on intra-EU trade and the data provided in external trade customs declarations.