Professor Ulla Tapaninen's blog
US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs of 10-50% on international trade, to which many countries are responding in kind. How will Trump's decision affect Baltic Sea shipping? The tariffs now imposed are at least 10% on foreign products entering the US, 20% on EU products and even more than 50% on Chinese products. The tariffs … Continue reading Trump will cause a crisis in the Baltic Sea shipping
The most important decision for shipping companies right now is what the fuel they will be using will cost in five years. My phone has been ringing lately as the transport sector ponders how shipping operations will change in the future due to tightening environmental regulations. But first, let’s get back to the basics: how … Continue reading How do shipping companies make a profitable business?
The only way that shipping companies can be competitive in the future shipping market is to prepare their operations and their fleet towards the green transition. The regulations for the vessels, new fuels, emission trading and demands of customers and financiers require deep understanding of technical and operational alternatives. In 2023, the International Maritime Organization … Continue reading Regulations towards shipping decarbonisation
Finland's economy is highly dependent on world trade. Due to its geographical location, sea transport is the most significant form of transport in Finland - especially now that trade with Russia has decreased considerably. In 2023, the Finnish foreign trade was just under 230 billion euros, of which almost exactly half was imports and half … Continue reading How did Finnish sea transport volumes look like in 2023?
At the beginning of February, I was taking a course to update my know-how of national defence, security of supply chains and crises situations. It was a continuation of the previous course. Six years ago, the things studied were distant and theoretical, today they are far too close. We have just survived the pandemic. A … Continue reading Does Finland’s NATO membership provide an opportunity to improve maritime security of supply?
Recently, it has been widely discussed that the emissions trading increases the prices of sea transport. However, economic theories tell us that the price of a product is not based on costs, but it is formed by supply and demand. The price is an agreement between the seller and the buyer. In principle, the seller … Continue reading Emissions trading increases sea transport prices, doesn’t it?
If subsidies for shipping are really wanted, they should be allocated to innovations and the introduction of new technology. In November, it was reported that Finland will switch to shipping emissions trading, but companies have not yet taken it into account (HS 15.11). The news mentioned that the emissions trading will increase Finland's export costs … Continue reading The government must not slow down the green transition of shipping
The introduction of the island exception can endanger both the Ă…land shipping company operations and the future competitiveness of the entire Finnish maritime cluster. The history books tell an interesting story about Gustaf Adolf Mauritz Erikson (1872 – 1947), a ship owner from Ă…land Archipelargo. When the world's sea transport started using steamships in the … Continue reading Is the introduction of the island exception an advantage for shipping companies? What about the Finnish maritime cluster?
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