Helsinki Port Traffic Disrupted Due to Political Strikes

Political strikes this spring disrupted container traffic at the Port of Helsinki for approximately four weeks, prompting industrial operators and traders to switch to lorries for transporting goods.

As a result, activity declined at Vuosaari Harbour, whereas heavy traffic increased at West Harbour. Passenger traffic, on the other hand, was not only unaffected but also experienced a slight rise compared to the previous year.

In the first quarter of the year, the Port of Helsinki saw a total throughput of 3.2 million tonnes of goods, which represents an 8.9% decrease from the same period last year. Imports fell to 1.5 million tonnes (down 9.5%), and exports dropped to 1.7 million tonnes (down 9.3%).

“The start of the year was positive in cargo traffic, but the political strikes in February and March hit cargo transports through the Port of Helsinki hard. Lorry transports ran smoothly, but all other kinds of cargo traffic was nearly at a standstill. Some transport related to security of supply, however, was excluded from the strikes,” stated Ville Haapasaari, CEO of the Port of Helsinki.

He continued, "These exceptionally long strikes will without a doubt have a visible negative impact on our bottom line. At the same time, we are concerned about the impact of the strikes on the much anticipated positive turn in the Finnish economy.”

In terms of passenger traffic during the first quarter of 2024, there was a total of 1.7 million passengers, up by 4.7% from the previous year. The Helsinki to Tallinn route remained the most frequented, carrying 1.4 million passengers, a 5.5% increase from the previous year.

”MS Cinderella returning as the second vessel on the Viking Line Stockholm route is a positive thing, giving encouraging signals for the coming year in passenger traffic,” Haapasaari added.