Port HaminaKotka throughput down 12.3 percent
Cargo traffic at the combined port of HaminaKotka of Finland in January-July 2012 shrank by 12.3% from a year earlier to 8,3 million tons, the Port Authority statistics said.
The seven-month volume of exports fell 11.6%, imports dropped by 13.8%. In the reporting period, the port saw a 21-percent growth in the segment of transit cargo. Inland cargo shipments was up 5.1%. Container traffic rose 5.2%.
The Finnish ports Kotkan Satama Oy and Haminan Satama Oy merged under a new name on May 1, 2011. As a result, the HaminaKotka has turned into the largest export port of the country. In 2011, cargo throughput at the port rose 2.3% year-over-year to 16.05 million tons.
Kotka is located some 50 kilometers from the Russian Federation border, 280 km off St. Petersburg, 1000 km from Moscow. Port of Kotka comprises ports of Mussalo, Hietanen, Kantasatama, berth Puolanlaituri (Polish berth), berth Halla, and also port premises Sunila. In 2010, the port of Kotka handled about 9,2 million tons.