Record-breaking unitized cargo traffic
In 2021, a total of 14.4 million tonnes of goods (+8% compared to 2020) were transported via the Port of Helsinki group, and unitized cargo traffic reached an all-time high.
At the Port of Helsinki, cargo traffic remained busy, which helped to ensure that consumer goods and raw materials and supplies required for purposes such as industrial operations also remained available in Finland during the exceptional circumstances.
At the Port of Helsinki, the impact of disruptions in global maritime traffic, such as the shortage in containers and, large increases in the prices of container cargo and the blockage of the Suez Canal in March, was mostly evident in the increase in the amount of cargo transported on trailers.
The group’s total cargo traffic in 2021 was 14.4 million tonnes (+8%). There were a total of 7.7 million tonnes (9.3%) of exports and 6.6 million tonnes (+5.6%) of imports.
The main export commodities are products for the forest industry, machinery and equipment, whereas in imports the most prominent product group is daily consumer goods.
Cargo traffic
| Tonnes | 2 019 | 2 020 | 2 021 | Change% 21/20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unitized cargo | 11 721 000 | 11 113 000 | 12 141 000 | +9.2% |
| Import | 5 422 000 | 5 201 000 | 5 522 000 | +6.2% |
| Export | 6 300 000 | 5 912 000 | 6 619 000 | +12.0% |
| Bulk traffic | 1 171 000 | 1 371 000 | 1 376 000 | +0.3% |
| Break Bulk | 772 000 | 683 000 | 719 000 | +5.3% |
| Foreign traffic | 14 270 000 | 13 245 000 | 14 243 000 | +7.5% |
| Coastal traffic | 149 000 | 63 000 | 130 000 | +106.0% |
| TOTAL CARGO TRAFFIC | 14 419 000 | 13 307 000 | 14 373 000 | +8.0% |
| Containers, TEU | 534 000 | 509 000 | 467 000 | -8.3% |
| Trucks, trailers and other, pcs | 601 000 | 598 000 | 664 000 | +11.1% |
* TEU = twenty-foot equivalent unit
Unitized cargo exports increased by 12%
Most of the goods transported via the Port of Helsinki are unitized cargo for Finland’s foreign trade, i.e. cargo transported on lorries, trailers and containers.
In 2021, a total of 12.1 million tonnes (+9.2%) of unitized cargo was transported via the Port of Helsinki. Of this amount, 5.5 million tonnes was in import (+6.2%), and 6.6 million tonnes in export (12.0%).
The total amount of unitized cargo traffic was 12.5 million tonnes (+9.3%), 5.7 million tonnes of which in import (+6.2%) and 6.9 million tonnes in export (+12.1%).
- In tonnes, the amount of cargo traffic decreased by 2.6%. The amount of cargo traffic was 467,000 TEUs* (-8.3%). Container traffic accounted for slightly over 31% of unitised cargo traffic.
- As for lorries and trailers, a total of 657,000 units (+10.7%) travelled via the Port of Helsinki, which equals 8.4 million tonnes of cargo (+15.5%). The percentage lorries and trailers accounted for of the unitised cargo transported via the Port of Helsinki was 69%.
Traffic in Vuosaari harbour
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Containers, TEU | 533 000 | 507 000 | 467 000 |
| Trailers and trucks | 235 000 | 261 000 | 292 000 |
| Ship calls | 2 354 | 2 395 | 2 543 |
| Passengers | 271 000 | 203 000 | 231 000 |
The three largest trade partners in terms of tonnes were the same as the previous year: Estonia (5.5 Mt), Germany (3.4 Mt) and The Netherlands (1.4 Mt).
Unitized cargo traffic 2021, TOP 3 Countries
| Million tonnes | |
|---|---|
| Estonia | 5.5 |
| Germany | 3.4 |
| The Netherlands | 1.4 |
Bulk and breakbulk traffic
The bulk product traffic at the Port of Helsinki mainly consists of coal imports and pulp exports. In 2021, the total amount of bulk product traffic via the Port of Helsinki Ltd was 979,500 tonnes (-0.6%). In terms of the entire group, the amount of bulk product traffic remained close to the level of the previous year, ending up at 1,829,900 tonnes (+0.5%).
Coal is imported as dry bulk for Helen Oy via the Port. Approximately 530,000 tonnes of coal was transported as dry bulk through the ports of Helsinki, which is 11% less than the previous year.
The total volume of break bulk was 719,180 tonnes, which is 5.3% more than the previous year.
Port of Loviisa
The main exports of the Port of Loviisa, a subsidiary of the Port of Helsinki, are anthracite and grain, the harvest of which was negatively affected by the hot summer.
The total cargo traffic through the Port of Loviisa was 734,234 tonnes, which was 6% less than the previous year (780,860 tonnes).
Foreign cargo traffic totalled 635,058 tonnes, of which import was 215,396 tonnes (+19.7%) and export 419,662 tonnes (-18.0%). The total amount of domestic coastal traffic was 39,147 tonnes, while terminal traffic ended up at 60,029 tonnes.
Kantvik
Traffic at the Kantvik south quay belonging to the Port of Helsinki decreased by 44.0% compared to the previous year and totalled 199,000 tonnes.
Kantvik Harbour serves nearby industry, and the goods passing through the harbour are mostly raw materials. A total of 87% of the traffic was import.