A record amount of cargo was transported via the Port of Helsinki in 2018. Sea travel remained strong, and Helsinki retained its status as the busiest international passenger port in Europe. In particular, the number of international cruise tourists in Helsinki was higher than ever.
In 2018, a record total of 14.7 million tonnes of goods were transported via the Port of Helsinki. The amount was an increase of 3.3% compared to the previous year.
– Container traffic also hit record levels. Additionally, the first full year of pulp transport from Metsä Group’s Äänekoski plant contributed positively to the result, remarks the port’s CEO Ville Haapasaari on the reasons for the record numbers.
– The total volume of unitised cargo for the year was positive, even though market growth came to a halt over the course of the year.
The port saw a good increase in cargo traffic to and from Tallinn, which totalled 4.2 million tonnes (+ 5.5%). In the summer, some Rostock traffic was moved away from Helsinki, and cargo traffic to and from Germany decreased by 7.1% from the previous year.
Most of the goods transported via the Port of Helsinki are unitized cargo, i.e. cargo transported in trucks, trailers and containers. In 2018, a total of 12.0 million tonnes (+ 1.1%) of it was transported via the Port of Helsinki. Import and export for Finland’s foreign trade once again remained well balanced. Import accounted for 5.6 million tonnes (+1.3%) of unitized cargo, while export accounted for 6.4 million tonnes (+0.9%).
• The container traffic in 2018 totalled 509,500 TEU* (+3.7%), i.e. 4.0 million tonnes.
• Rubber-wheeled vehicles, i.e. trucks and trailers, transported a total of 603,100 units (+2.7%), or 7.6 million tonnes.
Tallinn remains popular among ship passengers
In addition to the cargo flows of foreign trade, a total of 12.08 million ship passengers passed through the Port of Helsinki in 2018. Of this number, 11.56 million were liner traffic passengers. This is 1.8% less than the previous record year.
As usual, the busiest sea route was between Helsinki and Tallinn, which saw 8.8 million passengers over the last year (-1.8%). This accounts for almost 77% of all passengers who passed through the Port of Helsinki. The slight decline in the route’s high popularity is explained in part by the lack of high-speed vessel traffic between Helsinki and Tallinn in 2018 as well as a decrease in sea travel by Finns as a result of the increased price level in Estonia.
A total of 2.3 million passengers travelled between Stockholm and Helsinki (-2.1%). The route’s popularity has been relatively stable for many years.
In contrast, the number of passengers on international cruise ships broke its record from last year. Almost 520,000 passengers visited Helsinki, which is roughly 40,000 passengers and 8.5% more than the previous year. The port had 285 vessel calls, which is 19 more than the previous year.
* TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) = a 20-foot long shipping container
Port of Helsinki Ltd
