Quality description: Import and export of goods according to products by activities (CPA) and industries (NACE)

1. Relevance of statistics

1.1 Content and use of statistics

The structure of import and export is described at a rough level by products by activities, industries, and the main use of goods.

For the purposes of the economic analysis, these statistics give a reliable picture of the newest development of the foreign trade from the view-point of industries. 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 CPA statistics indicate the structure of import and export according to the Classification of products by activities (CPA).

The NACE statistics comprise data according to the classification of industries (Nomenclature générale des activités économiques dans les Communautés européennes, NACE, 2002).

The MIG statistics describe the import and export according to the main use of goods (Main Industrial Groupings, MIG). This product classification is not official.

The information complying with the CPA is derived from the Combined Nomenclature (CN). The MIG categories are derived from those of the CPA.

1.3 Acts and Decrees

Foreign trade statistics are based on the legislation of the European Community as well as the national Statistics Act (280/4) and Customs Act (1466/94). Within the EU legislation, the compilation of statistics is steered by the Basic Regulation on internal trade statistics (EC, 638/2004), Basic Regulation on external trade statistics (EC, 1172/95), and the respective implementation provisions.

The country classification is based on the Commission Regulation (EC, 1833/2006) on the country classification of the statistics on the Community external trade and the trade between the Member States. The country codes comply with those of the ISO/DIS 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 statistics on the foreign trade of Finland.

3. Correctness and accuracy of information

The monthly statistics are preliminary and contain estimates. Thus the figures are changing along with the completion and elaboration of the basic material. The monthly figures are e.g. supplemented by estimations on missing statistics declarations and those on companies with figures remaining below the threshold values. Each EU Member State defines its threshold i.e. minimum value of inclusion in statistics for the calendar year, based on the annual value of importation and exportation by companies.

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 the 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 foreign trade in services recorded to these statistics.

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

The accurate publication dates of the monthly statistics are announced for abt. one year at a time. The timetable of publication is maintained on the web site of the National Board of Customs. The statistics are published within nine weeks upon the expiry of the respective month.

The statistics get specified along with the production of the statistics on the following months. The statistics on each calendar year are confirmed by the end of April in the following year.

5. Availability and transparency / clarity of data

The central information of the monthly statistics is published on the web site of the National Board of Customs on the dates announced in advance.

Further information on these statistics is available from the Statistics Service. Besides, the Uljas database incorporates those statistics by the CPA categories which are the most important in view of Finnish foreign trade. The web site of Customs -> Foreign trade statistics comprises e.g. the principles of compiling statistics on foreign trade as well as all the surveys on Finnish foreign trade published by the National Board of Customs. Furthermore, the web site comprises rough-level statistical tables according to these classifications.

Further information is also available from the Statistics Service at:
- telephone: +358 9 6141 (exchange) or +358 20 690 603 (Statistics Service direct)
- e-mail: statistics[at]tulli.fi    (replace [at] in the address with @)
- Internet: www.tulli.fi
- Statistical database Uljas: uljas.tulli.fi

6. Comparability of statistics

This type of information exists since 1997.

Inquiries regarding classifications of industries and main uses may be addressed to the Statistics Service.

7. Clarity and consistency / coherence

The statistics get specified monthly along with the publication of further monthly statistics.

Statistics on the foreign trade of other countries are also accessible at the reading room of the Statistics Service.

Statistical information according to industries is also available at the Statistics Finland.

Statistical information on the foreign trade by the EU Member States is obtainable from the publications, web site, and Easy Comext database of Eurostat. This database can be consulted through Internet free of charge.

The dissimilarities of the concepts and definitions applied by the EU Member States and their most important trading partners may affect the comparability of statistics.


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