Ministry for Foreign Affairs steps up import policy measures – new services for Finnish enterprises and organisations

Press release 462/2006
15 November, 2006

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has intensified its activities in the import policy sector. The objective is to improve developing countries’ access to markets in the European Union and Finland, and to improve the selection and availability of import products. A new service, directed at both companies and organisations, has been set up; its activities concentrate, in particular, on determining the barriers to imports from developing countries in cooperation with national and EU-level officials. 

Finland’s development and trade policy programmes stress that input into import policy and easing imports from developing countries make it possible on the one hand to support the development efforts of developing countries and their integration into the international economy, and on the other hand to expand the selection available to consumers and to ensure the acquisition of competitive production inputs for enterprises. Interest groups and civil society organisations have also expressed the wish for intensification of import policy measures.

Import policy activities combine development objectives and trade policy objectives. Easing imports from developing countries enables sustainable support for developing countries’ own development efforts and their integration into the international trade system, as alongside removal of barriers, efforts are focused on strengthening production capacity in developing countries.

The new approach was presented and broader discussion on import was aroused at the import trade seminar arranged by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on 6 November. At the seminar the view crystallised that, in globalised world trade, success on export markets calls for availability of import  products that is as good as possible. Openness of foreign trade was also considered to serve the interests of Finnish consumers, business life and developing countries.

The series of seminars supporting Finnish companies’ exports and internationalisation included a seminar, held Wednesday, 15 November, on immigration issues linked with the import policy theme. Alongside talks by experts from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, talks were given by experts from the Ministry of Labour, the Directorate of Immigration, the Immigration Police and the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK. At the seminar, the permit practices associated with immigration were presented and the problems experienced by enterprises were discussed.  Future prospects pertaining to immigration of labour were also discussed. Because of the great interest in these topics, a similar event is being planned for 2007.

Additional information: Commercial Secretary Johanna Silvander, tel. +359 9 1605 5507, e-mail: [email protected]