HELSINKI, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Domestic strikes and the contraction of world trade have led to a clear drop in Finland's exports in the first half of this year, said the Finland Chamber of Commerce on Friday.
Between January and June, the business organization issued a total of 23,961 certificates of origin to companies that export goods outside the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA) countries, 5.3 percent less than in the same period last year. The drop was especially drastic in March, when about 30 percent fewer export documents were issued than in last year's same month.
"The drop in the first half of the year is mainly due to the spring political strikes, which stopped exports almost completely. Although exports picked up in the second quarter after the strikes ended, the weak world trade cycle has affected the exports of Finnish companies during the late spring," explained Juho Romakkaniemi, managing director of the Finland Chamber of Commerce.
According to a survey of export managers carried out by the Finland Chamber of Commerce in June, in addition to the strikes and contraction of world trade, increased costs, the challenging global economic environment and geopolitical uncertainty will continue to affect Finnish companies' export prospects and future expectations.
