Statistics specification: International trade in goods

Title of statistics

International trade in goods

Collector

Finnish Customs

Description

International Trade Statistics describes the trade in commodities between Finland and other EU Member States, and between Finland and Third Countries, i.e. internal and external trade. These statistics constitute an official source on imports, exports, and trade balance of Finland.

Data content

These statistics, which cover all imports and exports, indicate the monthly values of imports, exports, and trade balance of Finland. The preliminary monthly statistics comprise such information regarding the EU, the euro area and countries outside the EU. The monthly statistics even specifies the information according to countries, country groups and continents with different classifications.

The CN statistics contain monthly detailed information on imports and exports of goods. Principally, all goods exported from and imported to Finland are recorded in statistics. International trade in services is not included in these statistics. An inclusion in the statistics requires the goods physically arrive in or depart from this country. By way of exception, ships and aircraft are recorded to statistics upon a change in ownership.

International Trade Statistics are compiled according to the Standard International Classification SITC owing to its international comparability. This classification maintained by the UN is applied in most countries. The goods are classified on the basis of the detailed nomenclatures (HS, CN) into rougher categories, which also take account of the degree of processing.

Classifications based on industries, and uses of goods are regularly applied to describe the structure and development of all import and export without specifying the countries. The data, however, are compiled also according to the countries. Statistics complying with these classifications indicate the values only.

Data collecting method

Data on exports by Finland with other EU Member States are collected from statistical declarations lodged by enterprises through the Intrastat system of internal trade. The data on imports is obtained from other EU-countries’ exports to Finland. EU member states send their exports data to a shared hub, from where Finland collects its imports data. Information on the trade between Finland and third countries is obtained from customs declarations, which shall be lodged on every import and export consignment. The data on internal and external trade are combined to form the international trade in goods statistics.

Exports is recorded to the statistics by the countries of destination according to the FOB (free on board) value and imports by the county of origin according to the CIF (cost, insurance, and freight) value.

Applied classifications

The compilation of statistics on commodities is based on the Combined Nomenclature CN of the EU. The Combined Nomenclature CN comprises some 9 800 headings.

The SITC statistics are compiled since 2007 according to Rev. 4 of the Standard International Trade Classification of the UN on international trade. The data complying with the SITC classification are deducted from the Combined Nomenclature CN according to the definitions formulated by the UN. The most accurate level of the SITC classification contains 2 970 product categories.

The CPA statistics are compiled according to the Classification of Products by Activities and indicate the structure of import and export by the product categories according to activities. The data complying with the CPA classification are deducted from the Combined Nomenclature CN.

The Classification by Broad Economic Categories (BEC) of the UN is based on the SITC nomenclature and is aggregated according to macroeconomic end-use categories.

The NACE statistics comprise data according to industries of the enterprises (Nomenclature générale des Activités économiques dans les Communautés européennes NACE).

The country classification is based on the Commission Regulation (EU 2020/1470) on the nomenclature of countries and territories for the external trade of the Community and the internal trade between the Member States. The country codes comply with those of the ISO/DIS 3166 standard of the International Organization for Standardization.

Updating frequency

Monthly

Completion or publication date

Preliminary statistics on import and export are completed 40 days after the respective statistical month. Detailed statistics on international trade are published no later than 60 days upon the statistical month.

The publication times of the preliminary statistics and detailed statistics are defined towards the end of each year so that the timetable indicates the accurate dates of issuance of the monthly publications during the next year. The publication timetable is maintained on the web site of the Finnish Customs.

Time series

Data exist in electronic form in the Uljas database since 1987. Information earlier than this is available in print or on micro cards at the archives.

Data according to the CN nomenclature exist since 1995. Since it annually undergoes amendments, it is not possible to form consistent time series on all products. Also changes in the country specification restrict the compilation of country-specific time series. Data exist in electronic form in the Uljas database.

From 1988 to 1994 the statistics on products were compiled in accordance with the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System HS. These product statistics and those complying with earlier applied classifications may be inquired at the statistics service.

Statistics complying with the SITC classification exist since 1988 (Rev. 3) and 2007 (Rev. 4). No annual amendments are committed to the SITC classification, which enables comparisons based on longer time series. Data exist in electronic form in the Uljas database. International trade statistics complying with the earlier SITC versions were compiled from 1958 to 1987. These may be inquired at the Statistics Service.

Information according to products by activities, industries, and main use of goods exists since 1997. Data exist in electronic form in the Uljas database.

Keywords

import, export, trade balance, international trade, goods, CN combined nomenclature, Intrastat, SITC, product categories, economic activities, main use, BEC, CPA, NACE

Contact information

Finnish Customs / Statistics Service
Statistics Service, Tel. +358 295 52335
E-mail: statistics[at]tulli.fi
Website: tilastot.tulli.fi
Statistical database Uljas: uljas.tulli.fi

Further information

Beside International Trade Statistics, statistical information on international trade is obtainable from the National Accounts, the Balance of Payments and International trade in goods and services statistics of the Statistics Finland.

Statistical information on the international trade of the EU Member States is available from the publications, web site and Easy Comext database of Eurostat.