Quality description: Survey on international trade in goods by countries and industries

1. Relevance of statistics

1.1 Content and use of statistics

The surveys on international trade by countries contain the newest data on the international trade between Finland and another country. Corresponding surveys can also be composed according to different groups of countries (e.g. EU Member States, developing countries, Latin America, etc.). The surveys on international trade according to industries present the newest data on the international trade of Finland according to individual countries and groups thereof by certain industrial groupings (e.g. forest industry, high-tech products, etc.).

For the purposes of the economic analysis, the surveys according to countries and industries give a reliable picture of the newest development of the international trade. They constitute an important instrument for the decision makers as well as planners and researchers in the public and private sectors, both at the national level and within the operations of the EU and several international organizations.

1.2 Central concepts and classifications

Information on the internal trade i.e. the trade between the EU Member States is collected through the Intrastat system from the operators who are obliged to provide information. The statistics on the external trade i.e. the trade with countries not in the EU are obtained from the customs clearance system.

The compilation of statistics on commodities is based on the Combined Nomenclature CN of the EU. The export statistics are gathered as per the countries of destination according to the FOB ("free on board") value and the import statistics as per the countries of origin according to the CIF ("cost, insurance, and freight") value. The country of origin is the country in which the goods were produced or in which the latest economically important stage of production took place. The packaging of the commodities is not regarded as production. As for export, the country of destination is the last country known at the time of the export of the commodities from Finland, either direct or via another country.

In the surveys according to countries and industries, the CN-based statistical material has been combined, depending on the intended use, according to the following classifications:

  • Standard International Trade Classification (SITC, Rev.4, ex 2007)
  • Classification of Products by Activities (CPA) 
  • The Classification by Broad Economic Categories (BEC, rev. 4) aggregates goods to macroeconomic end-use categories
  • Nomenclature générale des Activités économiques dans les Communautés européennes (NACE) (classification of the EC according to industries)

1.3 Acts and Decrees

The international trade statistics are based on the legislation of the European Union as well as on the national Statistics Act (280/2004) and Customs Act (304/2016) of Finland. In the EU legislation, statistics are governed by regulations on European business statistics:

  • 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.

2. Method description

The information on the trade carried on by Finland with the other EU Member States is collected from the compulsory statistical declarations provided monthly by importers and exporters through the Intrastat system of the internal trade. The information on the trade between Finland and Third Countries is obtained from customs declarations, which have to be submitted on every import and export consignment. The data on both internal and external trade are put together to form the statistics on the international trade of Finland.

3. Correctness and accuracy of information

The figures contained in the monthly surveys by countries and industries are preliminary. They change as the basic material gets completed and elaborated. The statistics on each calendar year are confirmed by the end of August in the following year.

As a rule, all goods exported from and imported in Finland are recorded to statistics. The prerequisite for the inclusion in statistics is that the goods physically arrive in or depart from this country. By way of exception, water- and aircraft are recorded to statistics upon a change in the status of ownership. Among other things, neither transit transports nor economic measures of insignificant commercial value are included in the statistics. Also the smallest companies are released from the obligation to declare statistics on internal trade. Neither is international trade in services recorded to these statistics.

4. Up-to-dateness and timeliness of published data

The timetable of the publication of the surveys by countries, groups thereof, and industries are decided by the Statistics of the Finnish Customs according to the topicality of the matter. Beside the development of international trade, the date of publication is determined e.g. by state visits, trade negotiations, fairs, etc. The timetable of publication is maintained on the Finnish Customs website. The surveys generally make use of the newest monthly information. However, part of the surveys are based on annual material only.

5. Availability and transparency / clarity of data

The surveys on international trade by countries and industries are published on the Finnish Customs website. The surveys can also be ordered to be transmitted by the e-mail. Detailed statistics according to categories of commodities and countries are available from the Statisticsservice and the statistical database Uljas.

More information on the surveys by countries and industries and and 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 statistics

Surveys on international trade by countries and industries are available on the Finnish Customs website since 2021. Previous surveys can be requested from the Statistics Service.

7. Clarity and consistency / coherence

The EU member states have sought to harmonise the methods, concepts and definitions used in the compilation of international trade in goods statistics. Harmonisation improves the coherence and comparability of statistics.

The information contained in a survey by countries and industries is specified in connection with the publication of further monthly statistics.

Statistical data on international trade is available not only in the international trade statistics in goods but also in the national accounts produced by Statistics Finland and in the balance of payment statistics. These statistics are compiled using different methods.

In the Statistics Service section on the Customs website, there are links to international trade-related websites of different countries and international bodies, such as the EU and the UN.