Imports and exports

Updated: 10 Feb 2020
Next update: 9 Mar 2020
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.

   

The value of exports increased by 13.3 per cent in December

According to the preliminary statistics of international trade in goods provided by Finnish Customs, the value of Finland’s exports of goods was EUR 5.6 billion in December. The value of exports increased by 13.3 per cent year-on-year. The value of imports fell by 1.9 per cent in December to just under EUR 5.3 billion. In January-December, the total value of exports increased by 1.9 per cent, while the value of total imports decreased by 1.4 per cent year-on-year.

In December, the trade balance was in surplus EUR 330 million. In January-December, the trade balance had a deficit of EUR 710 million. In December 2018, the trade balance showed a deficit of EUR 428 million and a deficit of EUR 2.9 billion in January-December.

In December, exports to EU countries increased by 24.5 per cent, but imports from EU countries fell by 3.9 per cent. At the same time, exports to countries outside the EU fell by 2.0 per cent, but imports from countries outside the EU increased by 1.2 per cent. In January-December, exports to EU countries increased by 1.7 per cent and exports to non-EU countries rose by 2.3 per cent. Over the same period, imports from EU countries decreased by 0.1 per cent and imports from outside the EU by 3.4 per cent.