Competitiveness

The sea is vital to the Finnish people. That’s why we need to invest in the competitiveness of the shipping industry and fluent maritime transport. The significance of the shipping industry for the society is bigger than it seems. The competitiveness of shipping supports the competitiveness of Finland: 94,4% of exports and 96,9% of imports are transported by sea.

Shipping is a worldwide industry, and competition is global. The guidelines for the EU’s state aid to maritime transport and the Valletta Declaration published this year set out the most essential objectives and actions for enabling good operational conditions for European shipping and operating on the global market. It is important for Finland to stay in the same boat with the 15 other European shipping countries and ensure suitable operating conditions for national shipowners in accordance with the EU guidelines.a