Freight Forwarding in Finland

Freight forwarding in Finland is able to benefit from anregards to exports, the key economic sector is
effective transport infrastructure that consolidates itsmanufacturing, which is the lifeblood of the freight
strategic position as a gateway for internationalservices industry in Finland. Overall, the largest
freight to Russia and the Baltic. Finland'sindustries are electronics (21.6 percent), machinery,
transportation system includes both an efficient railvehicles and other engineered metal products (21.1
and road network,used by a great number of freightpercent), forest industry (13.1 percent), and chemicals
forwarders and shipping companies. Finland's own(10.9 percent).
internal system for distributing goods and services isThe Greater Helsinki area alone accounts for a third
also highly efficient. Finland has over 50 merchantof the total GDP of Finland and as a result freight
shipping ports, of which more than 10 are to betransport options are high in the Helsinki area, with
found on inland waterways which are connected tomany a freight company and shipping company
the Baltic Sea by the Saimaa Canal.having selected this area for their base.
Over twenty seaports are open year round. FifteenIn a 2004 OECD comparison, high-technology
Finnish ports deal with freight forwarding in transitmanufacturing in Finland ranked second highest after
through Finland. These ports between them canIreland. Finland also has the 4th largest knowledge
handle a wide range of cargo and no shippingeconomy in Europe, behind Sweden, Denmark and
company should encounter amy problem at allthe UK. This is itself a good indicator of the health of
regarding their international freight. The 10 biggestthe freight forwarding industry as strong knowledge
ports handle more than 75 percent of all freighteconomies tend to stimulate innovation and there is
transport by sea. The ports near the Russian borderoften a correlation with this and vibrant
(Hamina, Kotka, Hamina and Mustola) tend to focusmanufacturing industries.
on international freight such as forestry goods andFinland is a key player in the global economy. The
bulk cargo. All the ports in Finland are fully automatedcountry looks outwards to the world and international
and totally secure, consistently providing fast andtrade accounts for a third of GDP. In common with
hassle-free loading and unloading operations. Soother countries in the European Union, trading within
freight services are reliable and cost-effective,the European Union countries dominates its trading
making trade with Finland an attractive option forposition and freight services are therefore especially
many.well developed within Europe. The European Union
It is after all to be expected that Finland would havemakes up 60 percent of the total trade. Most export
an excellent transport infrastructure and efficienttrade is with Germany, Russia, Sweden, United
freight forwarding as Finland is a highly industrialized,Kingdom, China, USA and the Netherlands.
mixed economy. The per capita output in Finland isTrade policy is managed by the European Union,
equal to that of other western economies such aswhere Finland has traditionally been among the free
France, Germany, Sweden or the United Kingdom.trade supporters, With the exception of agriculture.
Although services make up much the largest sectorFinland is in fact the only Nordic country to have
of the economy, manufacturing and refining accountjoined the Eurozone.
for 31.4 percent of Gross Domestic Product. With