Sea transport severely hit by pandemic
The coronavirus epidemic is also having negative effects on maritime transport. In August both freight and passenger traffic decreased for the fourth consecutive month.
According to Statistics Finland, the goods volume of foreign sea transport was in total 7.5 million tonnes in August 2020. Sea transport decreased by 10% from last year's August. Exports decreased by 5% and were 3.9 million tonnes. Import volume decreased by 15% and amounted to 3.6 million tonnes.
General cargo was transported most, in total 1.3 million tonnes, which is 17% of all sea transport. The second most transported was oil products, 1.1 million tonnes, and crude oil, 0.95 million tonnes.
Passenger traffic
In August 2020, passengers made up only 36% of the number of passengers in the same month last year. No passengers of foreign cruise ships arrived in Finland.
A total of 807,298 people were transported in passenger traffic in August 2020. In all, 547,159 persons travelled between Finland and Estonia and 189,291 persons between Finland and Sweden.
Altogether, 57,021 passengers were transported between Finland and Latvia and 13,827 passengers between Finland and Germany.
Container transport
A total of 0.9 million tonnes of containers were transported through Finnish ports in August 2020, which is 16% less than in August 2019.
The number of containers transported was 64,302 (114,274 TEU containers). TEU is the basic measurement unit of container traffic, refers to one container that is twenty feet long, eight feet wide and 8.5 feet high.
Exports of containers went down by 21% measured in tonnes and imports went down by three per cent to August 2019.
Vehicle transport
A total of 265,985 transport equipment were transported in foreign sea traffic in August 2020. Most of them were passenger cars belonging to passengers.
In August, 175,033 passenger cars were transported. The second most transported were trucks, 54,433 and truck trailers, 33,007.
Saimaa Canal
A total of 163,954 tons of transport were registered through the canal in foreign traffic.
Timber was transported most in vessels in foreign traffic, in total 84,101 tonnes. The second most transported was crude minerals and cement.