Finnish Customs reformed its organisation to meet the challenges of a changing operational environment
The new organisation of Finnish Customs was launched today, 1 April 2026. The new organisation was established to strengthen the role of Finnish Customs as a security authority in this changing global situation. At the same time, it helps to enable smooth international traffic for those who operate in compliance with the regulations.
The changes in the security environment as well as the enhancement of operational efficiency have been the starting points for the organisational reform of Finnish Customs. Our duties as the authority supervising customs clearance and international trade remain the same. At all borders, we carry out supervisory tasks on behalf of all ministries, but in the future, there will be more focus on our role as an authority emphasising security and competitiveness. As a result of the reform, resources will be allocated where the traffic and goods flows are, that is, to the large ports in Southern and Western Finland, to the airports and to the northern land border. Security is also guiding the forms of cooperation with operators in legal international traffic while the self-responsibility of customers is becoming more pronounced.
“The importance of cooperation, both nationally and internationally, has become more emphasised in the present context, where security and economy are also becoming increasingly intertwined. Finnish Customs has always been at the forefront, whether in understanding the goods flows to Finland or in identifying emerging phenomena as they reach Finland”, says Sami Rakshit, Director General of Finnish Customs.
“We are a security authority that is already present at all borders. We have a holistic view of security – ranging from crime prevention and consumer safety, including protection of society and the environment, all the way to fiscal security.” It also forms the basis of our new organisation, Rakshit stresses.
After the reform, Finnish Customs has five departments as well as service units. The General Staff of Sami Rakshit, Director General, is headed by Stefan Aniszewski, Deputy Director General.
Two of the departments, Customer Relations and Risk Management (with Samy Gardemeister as Director) and Information and Technology (with Pirjo Sainio as Director), strongly support knowledge-based management, enabling operations to be directed efficiently and with real impact. The other three departments, Customs Clearance and Taxation (with Tom Ferm as Director), Customs Enforcement (with Mikko Grönberg as Director) and Customs Crime Investigation (with Petri Lounatmaa as Director), are structured upon the core functions of Finnish Customs, acting as the executors of the operational activities.
The organisational reform of Finnish Customs does not change the ways businesses and private individuals can contact Finnish Customs electronically. As for visits to customs offices, appointments should preferably be booked in advance by email or phone.