Quality description: High technology foreign trade

1. Relevance of statistics

1.1 Content and use of statistics

The statistics on foreign trade in high technology describe the trade in high technology products between Finland and other countries as well as the changes in the trade. The statistics contain data on imports and exports of these products, in full, by product group and by area. The statistics also contain data on longer-term development. The variable is the monetary value of these products.

The statistics on foreign trade in high technology are used particularly by the public science and technology administration, authorities and researchers as well as by organisations like the OECD that gather comparative data. The data are also aimed at everyone who is interested in the development of the industry.

1.2 Central concepts and classifications

High technology products are defined according to their technology intensity, i.e. the relation between research and development costs and turnover. The research intensity shall be at least four per cent.

The used definition of high technology products is a draft prepared by Eurostat in 2009, which hasn’t yet been finally approved. The definition is based on OECD’s product definitions from 1995. The classification of goods is based on the Standard International Trade Classification, SITC (Rev. 4). Earlier the goods were classified according to the previous version of the SITC (Rev. 3). High technology products are products for which research and development account for at least four per cent of industry turnover. Due to unconfirmed definitions, the data from 2008 on are preliminary in nature.

High-technology aggregations based on SITC Rev. 4 (pdf)

1.3 Acts and Decrees

The national Statistics Act (280/2004) is applied to the compilation of the statistics on foreign trade in high technology.

Foreign trade statistics are based on the legislation of the European Community as well as on the national Statistics Act (280/2004) and Customs Act (1466/1994). In the EU legislation, the compilation of statistics is steered by the Basic Regulation on internal trade statistics (EC 638/2004), the Basic Regulation on external trade statistics (EC 1172/1995) 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 statistics are compiled from the official foreign trade statistics of Finland, produced by the National Board of Customs. Statistics compiled e.g. by Eurostat, the OECD and the UN can be used for the international comparisons.

3. Correctness and accuracy of information

The statistics are compiled according to Eurostat’s and the OECD’s recommendations.

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

The statistics on foreign trade in high technology products are published annually in March-May. At the time of publication, the statistical data are preliminary, because as of 2010, the final foreign trade statistics for each statistical year are released at the end of August following the statistical year. Monthly statistical data are available in the statistics database Uljas maintained by the National Board of Customs.

5. Availability and transparency / clarity of data

The data of the statistics are published on the National Board of Customs website, where the publication is also available in pdf format. The publication can also be ordered to be sent by e-mail. 

More information on foreign trade in high technology and on all other foreign trade statistics is available on the Finnish Customs website, under “Foreign trade statistics”. There one will find the principles of the collection of foreign trade statistics as well as all the surveys on Finnish foreign trade published by the National Board of Customs.

Further information is also available from the Statistics Service of the National Board of Customs 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

The surveys on foreign trade in high technology are available on the Finnish Customs website, under Ulkomaankauppatilastot (in Finnish). The surveys for 2001-2007 and for 2009 are available in electronic format. In 2008, no survey was compiled due to changes in classification.

Until 2009, Statistics Finland produced statistical data on foreign trade in high technology. It released preliminary data also in 2008.

Data on foreign trade in high technology are available in the statistics database Uljas maintained by the National Board of Customs, according to the newest classification (SITC Rev 4) from 2002 onward and according to the earlier classification (SITC Rev. 3) for the years 1996-2002.

The statistics on the industry are, in principle, comparable between different countries, because the classifications are based on international standards in force at the time in question.

The differences in the concepts and definitions used in the compilation of foreign trade statistics by the EU Member States and their most important trading partners as well as by the UN Member States affect the comparability of statistics.

7. Clarity and consistency / coherence

The data will become more specific after the time of publication, because as of 2010, the final foreign trade statistics for each statistical year are released at the end of August following the statistical year. Monthly statistical data are available in the foreign trade statistics database Uljas.

In many countries, the foreign trade statistics will be corrected during two or three years following the statistical year.

Statistical data on foreign trade can be found not only in the foreign trade statistics but also in the national accounts produced by Statistics Finland and in the balance of payment statistics produced by the Bank of Finland.

Statistical data on the foreign trade of the EU Member States are available in Eurostat’s publications, website and Comext database. The foreign trade statistics collected by the UN are available for use free of charge in the Comtrade database on the UN website. The databases are available for use free of charge.


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