Tasks of the Customs Laboratory
The Customs Laboratory is an expert unit of Finnish Customs, which operates in the administrative sector of the Ministry of Finance. The operating range of the Customs Laboratory covers all of Finland. Nearly 80 people work at the Customs Laboratory and the annual budget is about 5 million euros. The invoicing for laboratory tests liable to charge amounts to almost 2 million euros a year.
The Customs Laboratory carries out examinations in connection with export and import control, customs and excise taxation, as well as other examinations relating to the other tasks of Customs or of the Customs Laboratory. The Customs Laboratory primarily serves Customs, but, within the limits of its authority, also cooperates with other authorities and entrepreneurs as well as with Finnish and foreign interest groups.
Testing laboratory accredited by FINAS
The Customs Laboratory is a testing laboratory accredited by FINAS (T006) and its qualification range covers the central research methods used in laboratories. The Customs Laboratory is an official research institute approved by virtue of the Food Act.
The statutory examinations are an essential part of the work of Customs as protector of society. Finnish Customs is responsible for controlling imported food other than foodstuffs of animal origin. The Customs Laboratory's authority is defined in the Food Act and in the Act on the Safety of Consumer Goods and Consumer Services.
The traditional laboratory tests are based on Customs' tasks relating to the customs control of foreign traffic and imported and exported goods, as well as on the customs and excise taxation. The focus is on examinations of narcotics and medicines in connection with the monitoring of illegal import, examinations of alcohol and fuel required by the excise taxation, and examinations in connection with binding tariff information (BTI) relating to the application of the Common Customs Tariff Nomenclature.
Fees
Examinations performed by the Customs Laboratory are liable to charge, except for the Customs’ own examinations and examinations relating to the applications for binding tariff information. The declarant must pay an examination fee for laboratory examinations that are performed at the initiative of Customs and that are needed in order to establish compliance with requirements for imported foodstuffs and consumer goods.The fees are determined on the basis of the Act on Criteria for Charges Payable to the State.
Examinations assigned by companies or other authorities are charged according to agreement. The examinations are priced on a commercial basis.