Imports and exports

Updated: 8 Jan 2019
Next update: 7 Feb 2019
Description of indicator

Foreign Trade Statistics describes the commodity trade between Finland and other Member States of the European Union (EU) and between Finland and Third Countries i.e. the internal and external trade. Foreign Trade Statistics is the official information source on the importation, exportation, and balance of trade of Finland. Preliminary statistics on foreign trade of goods convey the first monthly data on the foreign trade of Finland. The preliminary statistics present the development of Finland's export, import, and balance of trade both in the aggregate and by the other EU Member States, Euro territory, and countries not in the EU.

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 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 foreign trade of Finland.

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 foreign trade in services recorded to these statistics.

   

EXPORTS INCREASED BY NINE PER CENT IN NOVEMBER

According to the preliminary statistics of international trade in goods provided by Finnish Customs, the value of Finnish exports increased by nine per cent and the value of imports by five per cent in November year-on-year. The value of Finnish exports in November was almost 5.8 billion euros and the value of imports was slightly over 5.8 billion euros. Calculated from the beginning of the year, both exports and imports increased by seven per cent year-on-year.

The trade balance showed a deficit of 60 million euros in November. Calculated from January to November there was a deficit of 2.2 billion euros. Under the same period year 2017, the balance of trade showed a deficit of 2.4 billion euros. In 2017, the trade balance for November showed a deficit of 238 million euros.

Exports to EU member states increased by nine per cent in November and exports to non-EU countries by eight per cent. Imports from EU-countries increased by two per cent and imports from non-EU countries by ten per cent in November. Calculated from the beginning of the year, exports to EU increased by six per cent and exports to non-EU countries by nine per cent. During the same period, the value of imports from EU member states rose by four per cent and from other countries by ten per cent.