Customs facilitates foreign trade

Customs’ task is to ensure that goods entering and leaving the country, move in a controlled manner and that they are cleared through customs in compliance with the conditions of EU and national legislation. Our operation is customer-oriented and we promote this with easy, swift and inexpensive digital transaction services.

Customs also compiles and publishes Finland’s official statistics on foreign trade and makes them available in the form of monthly and topical reviews to be used by authorities, business life, political decision makers and the press.

EU’s outer borders are countries bordering Russia and Norway as well as the Russian sea border of the Gulf of Finland. Outer borders are also ports and airports, through which third country traffic enters and exits the country. Goods move freely across the internal borders of the EU without any customs formalities, in the same way as they move e.g. from Tampere to Kuopio.

Different customer groups have different needs and different views e.g. regarding the requirements of smooth foreign trade. Customs has organised its operation in such a way that there are digital services easy to use and available to all as well as information services regarding them and other customs matters. Through digitalisation, the customer’s uniform service experience is also improved.

Customs’ key customers are offered more appropriate ways of doing things, such as the solutions for permits and message exchange. Customs cooperates closely with Customs+customers to ensure that the foreign trade goes smoothly. Customs+customers voluntarily conduct in-house controls of their customs transactions and pilot new practices and systems. To them it is important to get everything in order at once.