Transports are a key part of the global economy and crucial to its development. Transports create contacts between people and ensure the flow of goods across the whole world, which in turn leads to the creation of new products and services. The following is a general description which captures some of the key elements of the shipping industry in the Baltic Sea region.
Sea transports are and will remain a fundamental part of international trade. Out of the total global trade volume, about 80 per cent is still transported by sea. In 2007 ports in the EU handled some 4 billion tonnes of goods, or about eight tonnes per inhabitant. The three largest commercial ports in the Union are Rotterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg.
Popular trade routes
In the global network of sea transports the Baltic Sea region and its roughly 100 million consumers play an important role. The region has a large number of ports, of which the most important are members of the Baltic Ports Organization (BPO). BPO has about 50 member ports in nine countries, and CMP is the twelfth largest operator in terms of freight volumes. The Baltic Sea is one of the oldest trading routes in the world and also one of the busiest, accounting for about 15 per cent* of global sea traffic. The Baltic Sea enables trade among the countries in the region and has long been a strategic transport route for oil exports to countries in the rest of Europe and beyond.
In the Baltic Sea’s nine littoral states shipping-related trade is estimated to account for over 60 per cent* of the total value of exports and over 47 per cent* of imports. As regards transports within the region, by far the largest segments are liquid and dry bulk, which account for roughly two thirds of total freight volumes. The second largest segments are RoRo and container traffic, which account for just over 20 per cent* of regional freight traffic. However, the great majority of sea transports in the Baltic – over 70 per cent* – refers to goods that are destined for ports outside the region.
The global economic downturn in 2009 has also had a clear impact on the Baltic Sea region. Freight volumes in the region’s ports are thought to have fallen by 10–20 per cent. The decline was particularly pronounced in RoRo, containers and car distribution.
Russian dominance
The eight EU states in the Baltic Sea region have about 2,900 companies operating in shipping, which provide employment for 60,000–70,000 people. However, in total the largest commercial ports in the region are Russian: Primorsk and St Petersburg. As the largest country in the region, Russia is an important player. Russian exports of petrochemical products and imports of consumer goods through St Petersburg to the enormous Russian market account for a very large share of total volumes. The ten largest ports in the region account for about 45 per cent* of all traded goods.
* Refers to 2008.