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Regional Focus

Finland

“T

Changing tides

imes are changing and we harbours, he said local suppliers were products onboard, depending on

have to adjust ourselves
hoping to see light at the end of the different cultural tastes and
tunnel this year but it will be important requirements.
every day,” – this is the

for them to retain hope and to believe message from Matti Kokkala, Chairman, As ship owners continue to squeeze

in the future throughout these Finnish Ship Suppliers Association prices, Mr Kokkala said suppliers must
difficult times.
(FSSA) (Suomen Laivakauppiaitten believe in their work and he explained

Yhdistys r.y.), who has cited increases in He also emphasised the issue of how local suppliers are working
foreign competition and escalating prices Finnish vessels being sold to foreign together and keeping active by

as just some of the factors having a countries and the fact that ships now organising joint meetings. “FSSA is an
negative impact on his country’s ship
often have seafarers from a range of important operator between our

different countries onboard together – members and authorities. By doing supply industry.
Mr Kokkala said mixed crews bring things together we can be united and Mr Kokkala said sulphur

new and unique challenges and keep our customers happy,” he said, regulations, which come into force in
opportunities for Finnish suppliers but suggesting that future initiatives such as the Baltic Sea in 2015, could also be

this is not an issue unique to Finland, as advertising “fresh and green detrimental to Finnish ship suppliers.

suppliers worldwide have noticed Scandinavian products” to ship owners Considering the fact that in 2013 there
changing patterns and demands for
could help bolster business. were 3.7% fewer vessels visiting Finnish

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Denmark

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Taxing times

t’s challenging times for Danish ship discuss everything from IT, law and windmill farms in the North Sea, where
suppliers as SKAT (the Danish tax customs rules so it is a lot of work for one many vessels are working to supply

authority) has made changes to its person to focus on.”
equipment to these sites as they are built.”
operations which according to Leif But how has the global recession in Looking to the future, what are Mr

Bjerre Hermansen, Chairman, Danish shipping impacted on Danish ship Hermansen’s hopes for 2014 for the local
Ship Supply Association (Dansk suppliers in recent months? “In the ship supply industry? “Our hopes for

Skibsleverandør Forening), have directly Danish Ship Supply Association, we have 2014 are that the positive trends we saw

affected his members: “This is having a not lost any members due to the global in 2013 will continue, so our members
big influence on our work. We had recession and our feeling is that we, as ship can look more positively to the future of

representatives in different groups suppliers, are on the right track to perform our business,” he said, noting that
working on solving special problems more activities both on ordinary cargo Scandinavian ship suppliers can work

related to our daily work as ship suppliers vessels and also in the offshore sector as together to strengthen their business by
but these groups have now closed down. there is a lot of activity in the Danish communicating with ISSA and OCEAN

Now, all our influence has to go through sector within oil and gas. There have also (European Ship Suppliers Organization)
one group but within this, they have to
been activities involving the setting up of
representatives.

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14 The SHIP Supplier Issue 60 2014