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Payments charged for controls of foodstuffs and consumer goods by Customs

Publication date 23.10.2017 9.07
Press release

As a rule, controls of foodstuffs and consumer goods by Customs are subject to charge. The charges are defined in accordance with the Ministry of Finances Decree on Customs services subject to charge 1364/2016 (amendment 639/2017). Charges are mainly levied based on the same principles both on internal trade controls and on controls of third-country goods, i.e. goods that are to be cleared through Customs.

Invoicing is based on the collection of individual charges for each consignment that is examined by the Customs Laboratory. A single consignment consists of products from an individual supplier, from which one or several items have been selected for examination. The Customs Laboratory carries out at least one examination per item, and a single examination charge covers all examinations. Businesses are always required to pay charges for examinations based on the Food Act of Finland.

Controls based on the Consumer Safety Act of Finland (920/2011) are free of charge when products brought to Finland from the internal market, i.e. from another EU Member State, are found to comply with regulations. Furthermore, businesses are reimbursed for samples that comply with regulations, if they so wish. If a sample taken from an internal trade product does not meet the requirements provided for in the Consumer Safety Act of Finland or does not comply with requirements based on the Act, Customs will charge the company in question the costs of the examination. In such cases, the price of samples will not be reimbursed.

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