Int’l trade growth slows down at Helsinki Port

Although ship travel this year is almost as popular as the previous record year, the heaviest growth in international trade has slowed down, according to the statistics of the Port of Helsinki.

“In cargo traffic, 2018 is becoming a record year for the Port of Helsinki, even though the heaviest growth has subsided during the year,” said Port of Helsinki Chief Executive Officer Ville Haapasaari.

The number of liner traffic passengers in Helsinki in January to September was 8.9 million, which was 1.6 per cent lower than that in the corresponding period of the previous year.

So people have embarked on sea trips almost as often as during the previous, record-breaking year.

The largest growth was in trips to Saint Petersburg (+7%), but the most popular route was still between Helsinki and Tallinn, with almost 6.8 million passengers (−2.0%). Traffic to Tallinn is affected by the lack of high-speed vessel traffic compared to the previous year as well as the general rise in the price level in Estonia. On the Helsinki-Stockholm route, there were 1.8 million (−1.0%) passengers by the end of September.

In January-September, a total of 11.4 million tonnes of cargo was transported via the Port of Helsinki (+10.4%). Of this amount, 5.4 million tonnes was imported (+3.1%) and 5.9 million tonnes was exported (+18.0%).

The growth in the amount of goods transported in containers has slowed down from the fast pace of the start of the year. By September, 282,000 TEUs (twenty equivalent units) of goods had been transported in container units (+3.6%). In tonnes, the amount was 3.1 million (+5.7%).

The number of units transported on trucks and trailers in January-September was almost 456,000 (+4.3%). In tonnes, the amount transported by heavy traffic was 5.8 million (+2.5%). Unitised cargo, i.e. cargo transported in sea containers, lorries, and trailers, is the largest cargo type at the Port of Helsinki. A large part of this consists of consumables. The Port of Helsinki is Finland’s leading harbour in terms of general cargo traffic.