The total volume of cargo transported through the Port of Helsinki was 5.8 million tonnes in January-May period, which is 0.7% less than during the corresponding period in the previous year, said the Port of Helsinki in a press release on Friday.
The volume of imported cargo was 2.5 million tonnes, while the volume of exported cargo was 3.2 million tonnes.
“During the first five months of the year, the volume of imports passing through Helsinki was 7% lower than in the previous year. There are still few new construction projects being started, and Finnish consumers have remained cautious about their small investments,” said Vice President (Cargo Services) of the Port of Helsinki, Vesa Marttinen.
“The export of unitized cargo was positive in the early part of the year, but in May it showed a downward trend,” Marttinen added.
Helsinki’s most important partner countries for cargo traffic were Estonia, Germany and the Netherlands.
The exports passing through the Port of Helsinki included machinery and equipment, other general cargo as well as paper and paper products.
The cargo imported to Finland, on the other hand, included consumer and investment goods and industrial products in particular.
The Port of Helsinki specialises in unitized cargo, meaning that goods travel through the port in sea containers, trucks and trailers. During the first five months of the year, a total of 5.2 million tonnes of unitized cargo were transported (+0.7%) through the port.
There was a positive trend in container traffic and the number of TEUs (Twenty Equivalent Units) container traffic increased by 14% from the previous year.
By contrast, the number of trucks and semitrailers decreased by 7% compared to the corresponding period the previous year.
The total demand for unitised cargo is expected to remain at the current level in the second half of the year.
Fintraffic will close the road tunnel leading to Vuosaari Harbour for an extended period due to repairs at the end of the year, which is expected to shift cargo traffic from Vuosaari to other harbours and ports.
- Cargo handling
- Helsinki Port
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
