The transportation of Finnish sawn timber exports, with special reference to winter navigation

Abstract

A description is constructed with special reference to 1970, a year in which normal marketing conditions prevailed, but ice conditions in Finnish waters during the winter were somewhat more difficult than usual. A brief back­ground survey is provided of the general outlines of the Finnish sawn timber trade and of trends in sea ice conditions around the coast of Fin­land. The research material covers approx. 80 % of the overland deliveries made from the sawmills to the parts in 1970, and almost all the ships load­ing sawn timber at Finnish ports during that year.

A distinct regional difference is noted in the transportation of timber between sawmill and ports, in that the sawmills of western Finland favour road transport whereas those in the east prefer rail. Most of the extra journeys required during the winter period take place by rail. Sawmills tend to prefer not to use different ports in the winter from during the open water season, but rather store their timber in readiness for the following shipping season.

As a result of the ice in the harbours very marked seasonal variations are to be noted in sawn timber exports. These have been somewhat reduced in recent years by the employment of improved icebreakers and ice‑rein­forced freighters, and exports have now almost entirely levelled out in the case of certain large sawmills in southern Finland. The north of the country still suffers interruptions in its sawn timber shipments every year regard­less of the actual severity of the winter.