Customs is the only operator to provide official detailed statistical information on Finnish exports and imports of goods. This year marks the 130th anniversary of the establishment of Customs Statistics.
Customs statistics are part of the monitoring of the economic situation in Finland, and the data produced by Customs Statistics are used as a basis for compiling several other statistics and for economic forecasts. The statistics are available to everyone on the Customs website and in the statistical database Uljas, and they provide a wide range of information for research institutes and companies, for example.
– The total values of imports and exports are very important figures describing Finland’s economic development. Other important information is information about which countries Finland trades with and how much. More detailed information is also needed on import and export goods. This information is especially needed by companies engaged in international trade, says Olli-Pekka Penttilä, Director of Statistics.
The figures in the customs statistics are based on goods exported and imported by companies. Traditional paper forms have already been converted into electronic notifications. This year marks the 50th anniversary of electronic reporting, which has revolutionized the compilation of statistics. A significant advantage of customs statistics is the possibility of direct access to customs clearance data and the possibility to influence the data collected in customs declarations.
The need for reliable information was great more than a hundred years ago – it is still secure
Already during the Swedish rule, the state wanted detailed information on how much revenue it had received from customs clearance and the volume of import and export goods. The national trade balance, ie the difference between imports and exports, has been calculated from the customs data. Finnish Customs was given the same task when it was founded two hundred years later in the Grand Duchy of Finland. More detailed information, ie “comprehensive and reliable trade statistics”, was needed to support decision-making and business. The Senate decided in October 1891 to establish the Customs Statistics Office, and the office began operations in early 1892. Its task was to compile and publish import and export statistics. The collection of customs statistics is considered to have started there.
– The importance of statistics has not diminished in more than a hundred years. On the contrary, customs statistics play an important role as an official source of information, a pioneer in national accounts and a basis for trade policy. We continue to work to produce high-quality statistics on Finland’s exports and imports, and we ensure that we receive accurate and reliable information that can be used to make decisions that are in Finland’s interests, Penttilä says.
Today, Customs Statistics produces comprehensive statistical information and various reports on the topics of international trade.
– Statistics show, for example, rapid changes in demand or domestic disruptions, for example, Covid-19 masks and vaccines are currently at the top of import statistics. The structural changes in the Finnish export industry are also clearly visible in the statistics produced by Customs, Penttilä continues.
Equivalence with statistics from other EU countries
The legislation governs the EU’s domestic and foreign trade statistics for international trade. This will ensure that the statistics are based on strictly defined standards that are applied in the same way in all EU Member States. Statistics on trade with non-EU countries are obtained from customs clearance systems. Statistics on trade between EU countries are collected using a separate Intrastat system. Statistics on domestic and foreign trade are published as one international trade statistic.
Customs accounts for 43 per cent of Finland’s total data in EU statistics, which means that Customs is Finland’s second largest statistical authority. Customs statistics are compiled by 22 employees and they produce e.g. 24 preliminary and monthly statistics, four enterprise size statistics, two provincial statistics and industry statistics published once a year. International trade indices are published at the same time as the monthly statistics. Regarding logistics statistics, data on transport statistics, transit transport and border traffic are published monthly in the Uljas statistical database. In addition to statistics, Customs Statistics produces various surveys, such as the annual re-export survey and the international trade surveys of the largest trading partners by country and country category.
A celebration will be held later this year to mark the anniversary of customs statistics. The statistics are also strongly featured on Customs’ social media channels and present interesting statistical events over several decades.
Source: Customs