Cargo throughput at Finland’s Port of Oulu in January-February 2012 rose 2.5% from the same period of 2011 to 576,329 tons, the Port Authority said.
In the reporting period, exports increased by 8.2%. In particular, shipments of exported lumber leaped 67.9% year-on-year, to 21,402 tons, loading of paper cargo - by 12.6% to 138,463 tons.
Imports grew 14.3% to 252,248 tons. Shipments of chemicals rose 34.9% to 7,819 tons, handling of cellulose increased by 4.7% to 55,616 tons.
Container traffic grew by 31.1% to 6,928 TEUs. SECU containers (Stora Enso Cargo Unit) decreased by 22.2% to 2061 units.
The Port of Oulu (Oulun Satama) is one of the leading ports for forest industry products and unitized cargo on the Gulf of Bothnia. The harbors in Oritkari, Nuottasaari, Vihreäsaari and Toppila have 500 - 600 ship calls each year. The port specializes in handling exported paper and timber and imported petroleum products and raw materials for the local timber industry. In 2011, Port of Oulu cargo volumes hit record high, 3,567,202 tons of different commodities.