Balance of payments, February 2013

Current account

• The current account posted a deficit of EUR 0.2 bn in February 2013 ie the deficit was EUR 0.6 bn lower than a year earlier. In BOP terms¹, there was a surplus in February of EUR 0.1 bn on the balance of trade. The aggregate current account for past 12 months posted a deficit of EUR 3.1 bn.

Financial account

Investment was outward on net, in the amount of EUR 0.2 bn.

• There was a EUR 0.1 bn net inflow of capital in the form of direct investment.
• Portfolio investment was outward on net, in the amount of EUR 1.2 bn.
• Other investment (loans, deposits and trade credits) was inward on net, in the amount of EUR 1.7 bn.

Net international investment position at the end of February

The international investment position was a positive EUR 23 bn.

• Finnish residents’ foreign assets totalled EUR 666 bn.
• Finnish residents’ foreign liabilities totalled EUR 643 bn.

Net international investment position – excluding equity items – was a negative EUR 71 bn.

¹ The data under ‘Goods’ in the balance of payments statistics differ from the National Board of Customs’ foreign trade statistics. Freight and insurance costs, which appear in balance of payments statistics as services expenditure, are deducted from the National Board of Customs’ cif-based goods imports. Goods produced in ports, including eg fuel, are added to both imports and exports.