Port of Helsinki Records 9.4% Growth in Container Traffic in Early 2026

Port Helsinki, Finland (Nguồn: Port of Helsinki)

The Port of Helsinki (Finland) handled a total of 5.8 million tonnes of cargo between January and May 2026, down 1.1% year-on-year. However, unitized cargo operations continued to show positive momentum, particularly in the container segment.

Container and Unitized Cargo Continue to Grow

According to newly released data, the port handled approximately 495,000 units of unitized cargo, up 4.9% compared to the same period last year.

Notably, container throughput increased by 9.4% in TEU terms, while truck and trailer traffic through the port also rose by 1.2%.

In terms of cargo weight, total unitized cargo reached 5.3 million tonnes, an increase of 2.5% year-on-year. Of this, imports amounted to 2.3 million tonnes (up 1.8%), while exports reached 3.0 million tonnes (up 3.1%).

These figures indicate that Finland’s trade activity is gradually improving after a prolonged period of sluggish growth.

Economic Recovery Drives Port Activity

Vesa Marttinen, Vice President responsible for cargo operations at the Port of Helsinki, said the improvement in Finland’s economy is helping drive higher cargo volumes through the port.

He commented: "Now that the economy of Finland is finally starting to pick up, we are also seeing busier unitized cargo traffic."

Regarding ongoing infrastructure developments at the port, Marttinen noted that construction work on the transport tunnel at Vuosaari Harbour has had only minimal impact and has not significantly disrupted cargo flows.

At present, the Port of Helsinki’s main cargo routes continue to serve as a key gateway connecting Finland with important markets in Estonia, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

Passenger Traffic Remains Stable

Alongside cargo operations, the Port of Helsinki’s passenger segment also recorded relatively stable performance in the first five months of the year.

A total of 3.1 million passengers passed through the port, a slight decline of 0.5% year-on-year. However, several routes continued to show positive growth, including Helsinki–Stockholm (up 1.4%) and Helsinki–Travemünde (up 9.6%).

In particular, international cruise traffic is showing clear signs of recovery. During the period, the port handled 17 cruise ship calls with approximately 44,000 passengers, representing a strong 31.9% increase year-on-year.

For this year’s cruise season, the Port of Helsinki is also expected to receive 15 turnaround cruise calls, where passengers begin or end their journeys in Helsinki. This is considered a positive signal for Finland’s cruise tourism sector after several years of geopolitical and economic disruptions.

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Source: Phaata.com (According to Container News)

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